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TAREE WILLS AND ESTATES

A legal will and estate plan are essential for everyone, no matter whether you own a modest home on the outskirts of Taree or a sprawling acreage on the banks of the Manning, have amassed an expansive investment portfolio or just have a few dollars put away in a savings account. As the leading local solicitors, Stacks Law Firm, Taree offer experienced, compassionate guidance for all your estate planning needs.
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MEET YOUR TAREE WILLS AND ESTATE PLANNING EXPERTS

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Justin Stack

Managing Director

Taree

“We understand that talking about your will and estate planning is a sensitive topic – both for you and for your family. For almost a century, Stacks Law Firm have been the solicitors Taree locals have turned to for compassionate support in ensuring their loved ones are provided for and their own financial security is protected.”

Taree and the wider Manning Valley regions have long been popular for raising a family, blending modern convenience with a vibrant outdoor lifestyle. 

Providing for future generations and safeguarding your own wellbeing shouldn’t be a matter of chance. It requires a legal plan for how your affairs are to be managed and who will benefit once you are gone.

As Taree locals ourselves, the friendly lawyers at Stacks Law Firm, Taree have supported generations of locals with their estate planning. And we can support you too, from devising your will, to making informed decisions about guardianship and power of attorney, as well as keeping these plans updated as your life and relationships change over time.

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    Wills preparation

    Nobody likes to think about death. However, to ensure our wishes are properly carried out and our families taken care of once we are gone, we need to put those wishes in writing.

    Our expert Taree solicitors can support you to do exactly that, by providing you with tailored advice and guidance.

    • Making sure your will is legally valid – properly drawn up, signed and witnessed
    • Making sure your wishes are clearly expressed in your will
    • Having adequate provision for your spouse and children, or for any former spouse and any dependants
    • Tax matters concerning your estate, such as any possible capital gains tax (CGT) liabilities which might result from provisions you intend to make in your will
    • Choosing an executor
    • The best way to arrange your affairs

    Estate planning

    Estate planning is about more than just having a will outlining who gets what once you’re gone. A detailed estate plan includes strategies to protect your assets while you are still alive and create an enduring legacy for future generations.

    As the legal experts in estate planning Taree locals have trusted for generations, we can offer you bespoke guidance.

    • Asset protection and risk minimisation
    • Business succession
    • Establishing trust funds
    • Insurances
    • Legal structures for investments
    • Superannuation
    • Taxation
    • Wills

    Assisting with deceased estates

    When a loved one passes away, especially if it was sudden, you may need urgent advice and support to navigate the legal and administrative processes for dealing with a deceased estate.

    With sensitivity and compassion during this difficult time, Stacks Law Firm, Taree can assist you with:

    Testamentary trusts

    Testamentary trusts are an increasingly popular means of protecting assets and delivering tax benefits for the beneficiaries of a will.

    Our specialist Taree solicitors can offer expert guidance on:

    • Setting up testamentary trusts that best protect the inheritance of your loved ones
    • Protecting your children’s inheritance 
    • Minimising the tax liabilities of your beneficiaries

    Preparing powers of attorney and enduring powers of attorney

    Choosing a Power of Attorney is an important decision. You must be able to trust that the person you appoint will act in your best interests.

    The Taree wills and estates specialists at Stacks Law Firm, Taree can guide you through the process and help you:

    • Understand the legal ramifications of making this appointment
    • Decide whether a Power of Attorney or an Enduring Power of Attorney is the most appropriate for you
    • Choose the level of decision-making power and access to your finances they have, and at what times they may act on your behalf
    • Prepare the Power of Attorney/Enduring Power of Attorney document accordingly

    Guardianship

    Guardianships are legal provisions to ensure that your wishes are carried out when you are unable to make decisions yourself. There are different types of guardianships which you may need to consider.

    Stacks Law Firm, Taree are solicitors with extensive experience in guardianship matters. We can support you with:

    • Making guardianship provisions for children aged under 18
    • Making guardianship provisions for someone in your care (such as an adult child with a disability)
    • Understanding and navigating a Guardianship Order made by the Children’s Court
    • Devising an Enduring Guardianship, authorising someone you trust to make decisions for you if you are sick or incapacitated, including medical decisions and living arrangements

    Reviews from our clients

    Norm Graetsch
    Have dealt with Stack's Law Firm,Taree and all I can say the service given by Josh Crowther and Elise Slattery has been impecable,If the occasion should arise again I would not hesitate to use their services again and I would recommend their services to anyone else.
    Leesa Smith
    I would strongly recommend Stacks Law Firm for any legal matters. They were fantastic to deal with and kept us updated on the process every step of the way. Most importantly, we won the case with the compensation we were hoping for.
    CamA C
    I contacted Joshua Crowther at Stacks Law Firm Taree. He is quite busy, which is a good thing, though he quickly found time for me to speak with him. I recommend him to anyone needing advice from an Accredited Specialist in Wills and Estates in NSW. At a stressful time, when you need to be informed of the Law and your rights, you need a knowledgeable and understanding expert and his advice is indispensable.
    Kathy Smith
    Justin’s friendly professional manner made me feel at ease from the word go.
    He explained the upcoming procedures with clarity and I had ample opportunity to ask questions.
    I am extremely pleased with the outcome due to Justin’s perseveration and commitment.
    Trish George
    I would use Stacks Law Firm again. They are very helpful and patient when going through a claim.
    David Venables
    Service was excellent and staff were very helpful and friendly.
    Paul Darcy
    My wife engaged Stacks Law Firm for a Workcover claim and Work Damages claim. Throughout both processes the team at Stacks always kept my wife updated with her claim. Di Branch and Grant Avery were very professional, informative and always made her feel at ease at a very stressful time. They achieved a good settlement for her.
    Special thanks to Amy who always kept my wife informed of her matter.
    Thank you
    Jack Usher
    Very satisfied with everyone they could not have been anymore helpful thank you
    Sharon Wells
    I wasn't sure at the start of my injury what to do i talked to a few people and some lawyers and decided to stay local and go with Stacks, they did a great job and helped me through it , the girls i had a lot to do with over the phone just fantastic and Justin was also very easy to talk to .I'm very happy with the service they provided to me and also the outcome so far .
    Thankyou Sharon Wells
    Neil Hawkins
    I walked into Stacks office in Taree at 8:30 am on the first day after Christmas break with a legal issue overseas I had to have some legal documents made with in 24hrs .
    With out me giving any notice I was coming the Stacks team swung into action and true professionalism they organised the documentation I needed and now everything overseas has been accepted and our legal issues has been successful.
    My wife and I would like to thank Tim and his team I was made to feel welcome and relaxed .
    Stacks will always be our family lawyer.
    Kind regards Neil & Ruby
    Wishing you a great 2025

    FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    Making a will is the only way we can be sure that what we own will be distributed in accordance with our wishes after we die.

    In the absence of a legal will, the court will appoint an administrator to deal with your estate, which will be distributed according to intestacy rules. These prioritise the beneficiaries according to different classes. 

    For example, if there is no surviving spouse or children, they prescribe who the estate will then pass to, such as siblings, half-siblings, other relatives etc.

    The Taree wills and estates experts at Stacks Law Firm, Taree can help you devise a will to outline your express wishes and keep it updated as your circumstances and relationships change over time.

    The Succession Act prescribes the process for distributing a person’s estate if there is no will.

    If you became unable to make personal decisions for yourself, and do not have an estate plan to address this situation – such as having an enduring guardian to make decisions in line with your wishes – then your living situation and medical treatment may be different to what you would have wanted.

    Put simply, a failure to get your estate planning in order means you may relinquish your decision-making power.

    Your estate planning should be tailored to your needs and circumstances. It should address:

    • Your lifestyle
    • Your retirement plans
    • Your business goals (eg who will succeed you)
    • Your tax position
    • Your plans for passing on your assets after you die
    • Strategies for dealing with unforeseen circumstances, such as chronic illness or relationship breakdowns within your family

    Other considerations for your estate planning are asset protection strategies to address specific risks, including:

    • Litigation and non-compliance with various government regulations
    • Claims made by a former spouse or de facto partner following a relationship breakdown
    • Claims made by disgruntled business associates or employees
    • Claims arising out of a person suffering a serious illness

    These risks can arise from circumstances that are not foreseeable and do not involve illegal or self-destructive conduct.

    Everyone should have strategies in place to protect their wealth, regardless of how much they own. 

    However, some people have a greater need of asset protection strategies than others, including:

    • The very wealthy
    • Those in the public eye, who can be seen as prime targets for overzealous litigators and regulators
    • People who have a concern or suspicion that they may face some form of legal, financial or medical difficulty in the near future
    • Business owners or people who are engaged in a professional occupation, because any business owner or professional practitioner is at risk of being sued

    There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for estate planning and asset protection. Each person’s unique circumstances need to be carefully reviewed and an appropriate strategy developed in line with those circumstances.

    Strategies that are commonly used within estate planning are:

    • Strategic use of superannuation and insurance
    • Developing agreements to deal with the orderly succession of business ownership after critical events such as death, disability or voluntary retirement
    • Using companies and trusts to quarantine assets that involve an inherent degree of risk
    • Ensuring that active assets (eg a business) and passive assets (eg a share portfolio or real estate investment) are owned by different entities
    • Giving inherited wealth to your beneficiaries and receiving inherited wealth from your benefactors through testamentary trusts
    • Skilful use of debt and securities, particularly debt and securities involving companies and trusts in which you have an interest
    • Structuring the appointment of company directorships within a family group to limit the family group being exposed to risk arising out of directors’ liabilities

    A Power of Attorney is a legal document in which you appoint a person or trustee organisation of your choice to manage your property and financial affairs while you are still alive. This may be because you can no longer manage them yourself, or because you choose not to for any reason. 

    Importantly, you don’t lose control of your affairs – you can still manage them if you wish to, and you can revoke the Power of Attorney at any time. 

    Just like a general Power of Attorney, an Enduring Power of Attorney is a legal document in which you appoint a person or trustee organisation to manage your property and financial affairs while you are still alive. 

    However, the difference is that an Enduring Power of Attorney continues even if you lose the capacity to make decisions yourself (such as if you have dementia or suffer a serious stroke).

    An Enduring Guardianship is where you appoint someone to manage your personal affairs when you can no longer make these decisions for yourself (for example, if you have dementia or have suffered a stroke). 

    These decisions could include where you live, what healthcare you receive, and consent to medical or dental treatment.

    Stacks Law Firm, Taree have decades of experience supporting Taree and Manning Valley locals with diligence and compassion as they and their families devise and enact Enduring Guardianship provisions.

    Our experts

    Grant Avery

    Grant Avery

    Director
    Taree
    Phone Grant Tel(02) 6592 6566
    Joshua Crowther

    Joshua Crowther

    Director
    Taree
    Phone Joshua Tel(02) 6592 6540
    Justin Stack

    Justin Stack

    Managing Director
    TareeTamworth
    Phone Justin Tel(02) 6592 6518
    Tim Stack

    Tim Stack
    OAM

    Chairman
    Taree
    Phone Tim Tel(02) 6592 6522
    Di Branch

    Di Branch

    Lawyer
    Taree
    Phone Di Tel(02) 6592 6566
    Taylor Kennedy

    Taylor Kennedy

    Solicitor
    Taree
    Phone Taylor Tel6592 6592
    Sandra Jeremy

    Sandra Jeremy

    Lawyer
    Taree
    Phone Sandra Tel(02) 6592 6592
    Madaline Shepherd

    Madaline Shepherd

    Licensed Conveyancer
    Taree
    Phone Madaline Tel(02) 6592 6592
    Find more experts

    Why choose Stacks

    What makes Stacks different and why you should choose us.

    Stacks is the steady hand you can trust, the lawyers you know. The ones who care about where you’re from, what you’re going through and who treat you like a person, not just another case.

    With the attention of one lawyer, backed by the expertise of many, we’re the only legal provider in Australia that gives businesses and everyday people access to expert legal services through a network of reputable local offices.

    Legal challenges can feel confusing, even intimidating, but we know what you’re going through, we know the legal terrain, we view your case individually, and we can offer the care, reassurance and expertise to guide you every step of the way.

    Get in Touch


    No hidden fees
    We’ll always be honest and upfront. We’ll look you straight in the eye and agree on a plan before moving forward.

    Deep expertise
    We know the ropes and our professionals have expertise specific to every legal situation—many are Accredited Specialists.

    Practical advice not legalese
    We speak clearly and directly, so you understand our advice and can make decisions with confidence.

    Network of local offices
    We’re local to wherever you are, and our offices are owned and operated by friendly, local professionals, proud of their communities.

    Real client care
    We genuinely care about our clients. It’s the core of who we are and has been since the first practice was opened by ER Stack on the NSW Mid-North Coast in 1931.

    Progressive practise
    We make the process easy for you with the latest tech to keep services cost effective—and you in control.



    We’ll always be honest and upfront. We’ll look you straight in the eye and agree on a plan before moving forward.

    We know the ropes and our professionals have expertise specific to every legal situation—many are Accredited Specialists.

    We speak clearly and directly, so you understand our advice and can make decisions with confidence.

    We’re local to wherever you are, and our offices are owned and operated by friendly, local professionals, proud of their communities.

    We genuinely care about our clients. It’s the core of who we are and has been since the first practice was opened by ER Stack on the NSW Mid-North Coast in 1931.

    We make the process easy for you with the latest tech to keep services cost effective—and you in control.

    We're here to help

    Complete the form to contact us today

    We’re here to listen to your story anytime. We can help you understand how things work, give you confidence and guide you through your options. We’ll be honest and upfront, agreeing on what you need and how much it will cost. Your enquiry is completely confidential.
    Call us now(02) 6592 6592Call us now

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