It’s a great honor for
a charity to receive a bequest from a person’s will, and it’s often the result
of a long association and support provided to that person throughout their
lifetime.
Sometimes disputes
arise in the estate and charities are often kept in the dark by family members,
or expected to hand over what they stand to receive.
Moores is uniquely
placed to enable our for-purpose clients to maximise
their bequest, and we do so in a respectful and sensitive manner.
Our experience
includes:
- Acting
for charities to defend and resolving Part IV claims prior to legal
proceedings, at Court ordered mediations and at trial
- Defence of an application for probate of an ‘informal
will’ at trial (Re Langley [2018]
VSC 623)
- Accepting appointment as Administrator of an estate on
behalf of a charity, where multiple charities were the sole beneficiaries.
- Appointing a member of the charity as the
representative on behalf of the estate, where the charity was the sole
beneficiary.
What you can expect
An approach tailored to your ethos and values
Our client’s desired
approach and objectives are always identified up-front. This ensures that our representation and
approach is tailored to our client’s ethos and values, with a litigious
approach adopted as last resort.
Our expertise allows us
to identify the right strategy and approach from the outset, to ensure the
right path is taken.
Unique expertise in both Wills & Estates and Not-for-profit law
With extensive
experience in both Wills & Estates and Not-for-Profit law, Moores has
developed a unique expertise in assisting our for-purpose clients with Gifts in
Wills
We
balance the desire to respectfully resolve meritorious claims early (to reduce
costs and delay otherwise involved) with our readiness to defend our client’s
entitlement and uphold the deceased’s wishes, where claims lack merit.
We
also encourage and facilitate collaboration between charities towards joint
representation, but will advise where this is not desirable due to
conflicts.
We empower you
We
seek to empower our clients to feel confident to take independent and initial
steps in estate matters, without requiring the assistance of lawyers.
Our specialisation means
we are often asked to present at various forums and conduct in-house training
workshops.