At Wilson Lawyers we act for all types of commercial organisations – from national companies and businesses, to boutique businesses and small creative and professional partnerships.

Our Commercial Team delivers legal advice for commercial activities as diverse as property development, transport and logistics, manufacturing, and childcare.

We concentrate on the sale and acquisition of businesses and business structuring. We also advise on the general commercial agreements that are central to running a business including standard terms and conditions of sale, intellectual property, warranties, and liability.

Other areas we advise on include:

• Sale and purchase of business assets
• Shares and unit sale agreements
• Partnership agreements
• License agreements
• Shareholder and unitholder agreements
• Joint venture agreements
• Trade practices
• Transport logistics such as road and rail

When experience and expertise count, our Litigation team pride ourselves on achieving timely and cost-effective solutions, suited to each individual matter whether by mediation, arbitration or litigation.

Our Litigation Lawyers have the necessary real-life experience to give practical and commercially relevant advice, not just in terms of legal theory, but how courts operate and how to best run a case. We will work with you to understand the key drivers of a dispute, devising the best strategies to protect your interests.

Our expertise covers all forms of litigation, including disputes in:

• Corporate and personal insolvency
• Commercial and domestic building disputes
• Commercial lease and contract disputes
• Town planning and development applications
• Restraint of trade
• Property law disputes
• Resumption disputes
• Trust and equity disputes
• Estate disputes
• Property damage in rail, air and sea accidents
• Consumer law

Buying or selling property is not a mechanical process and can be one of the biggest financial investments you make therefore requires attention to detail and real legal advice on your contractual rights.

Accordingly, our philosophy is that a residential transaction must be dealt with in the same professional manner as any other legal service. We offer competitive fixed fees and our service is exceptional through every step of the process.

With our detailed, timely, hands-on approach to conveyancing – we remove all the worry from residential property transactions for you.

Wills and estate planning is a complex maze of legal ownership, transfer of assets, family dynamics and relationships. Estate planning is an umbrella-like term that is used for describing the process of planning for what happens if someone passes away or loses capacity. As with anything deeply personal, what that plan might look like or include will be different for every person.

Preparing your estate plan is an investment in you and your family’s future and should be tailored to you and your personal circumstances; meeting your objectives and helping look after your family.

We offer the full suite of wills and estate planning services, including simple or complex estate planning that may involve:

• establishing testamentary discretionary trusts
• succession of family trusts, companies and businesses
• identifying and implementing strategies for business succession planning
• superannuation, including retail, industry and Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs)
• special disability trusts and other protective trusts for vulnerable beneficiaries
• asset protection and inter-generational wealth transfer
• specific gifts of treasured possessions, family heirlooms and other sentimental items
• tailored General and Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs)
• advising on Advance Health Directives and end-of-life care options
• identifying risks of dispute or estate litigation and advising on avoidance strategies
• advising on and drafting Letters of Wishes to give guidance to loved ones after you’re gone

It is now more common for everyday Australians to regularly use companies and trusts to manage their personal and business affairs, so it is imperative that their estate planning is fully integrated and tailored for their specific circumstances.

Our estate planning lawyers are experts in their craft and are skilled at asking the right questions and, importantly, making you feel at ease and in control as you plan for the future.

Although many executors of Wills are sound decision makers, they can often benefit from our expertise when satisfying probate requirements, administering estates, and accounting to beneficiaries. We manage the administration of many estates and deal with any legal issues that arise from them. We are regularly instructed to assist in small aspects of estate management through to holistic coverage of all stages of the estate administration process.

Whether it is simply obtaining a Grant or more fulsome estate administration, we can help with all types of estate matters, including those that might involve:

• Obtaining a Grant of Probate or a Grant of Letters of Administration
• Advising about intestate estates (i.e. where someone dies without a valid Will or the last Will does not deal effectively with all assets)
• Advising executors of their responsibilities, duties and obligations in relation to the estate
• Collecting and distributing assets of the estate from banks, share registries and other organisations
• Distributing gifts to entitled beneficiaries
• Working with financial advisers and tax professionals regarding the tax obligations of the deceased and the estate
• Advising executors in relation to executor’s commission
• Advising beneficiaries of their rights during the administration process
• Superannuation advice, including claims against decisions of Superannuation funds regarding death benefit payments
• Advising executors and beneficiaries where disputes arise during the administration process
• Advising on structures related to the estate, including succession of family trusts and companies
• Contested probate applications, including claims of lack of testamentary capacity and undue influence, informal Wills, interim and limited grants
• Family provision applications
• Advising on and representing parties in Will construction and interpretation disputes
• Applications for and against executors and administrators of an estate

Our expert estate lawyers pride themselves in being personable, compassionate and empathetic during what can be one of the most difficult times in their clients’ lives.