This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Most of us don't like thinking about our own death. But there is a practical reason to do so: When you die, somebody else has to sort out what you leave behind.
They may need to organize a funeral, find your will, contact banks and super funds, deal with your home, pay bills, close utility and digital media accounts and eventually distribute your assets. They will be doing all of this while grieving. Here's what you can do to lighten their load.
Good estate planning is about more than deciding who gets your money and possessions. It is also about making the process easier for the people you leave behind. Having a will is an important starting point.
Only about 40% of Australians have prepared a will, with people becoming more likely to have one as they get older and accumulate assets. You can make your own will—via a DIY or online will kit—but it still needs to meet the legal requirements in your state or territory. Government guidance recommends having these wills checked by a professional.
Legal advice is particularly important where circumstances are more complicated, such as blended families, businesses, trusts, guardianship arrangements or complex assets. If you die without a will, your assets do not simply go to the government. Instead, you die "intestate," which means the law determines how your estate is distributed.
These rules differ between Australian states and territories. In New South Wales, for example, legislation determines which relatives inherit and in what order. In Queensland, if someone dies leaving a spouse and children, the spouse generally receives the household belongings and the first A$150,000 of the estate, with the remaining estate divided between the spouse and children.
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