- 4.8 ⭐ 150+ Reviews
Will Planning on
the Central Coast
Get a will that actually works. Drafted properly, signed properly, and written with an eye on the arguments it needs to prevent.
- Wills drafted by a firm that also runs contested estates
- Tony Ryan holds a Master of Applied Law in Wills and Estates
- Toukley and Erina offices, members of the NSW Law Society Professional Standards Scheme
Getting Your Will Done Properly, the First Time
Nearly everyone intends to sort out a will. It slides down the list because nothing forces it, until a holiday, a health scare or a grandchild makes it suddenly urgent. The version people reach for is a kit from the newsagent or a template online, and those are often the ones we see later, in a dispute, when a phrase means something different to what the person intended or the signing was not done properly.
That is what we do. Ryan & Ryan prepares wills for people across the Central Coast, drafted properly, signed properly, and written with an eye on the arguments they need to prevent. Because our firm also runs contested estates, we know exactly which clauses cause the fights, and we draft to avoid them.
A will done properly is not complicated or expensive. It is usually one appointment, a clear conversation about who gets what and who runs it, and a document that will hold up when it is finally needed.
Why Choose Us to Draft Your Will
We see the wills that fail. The firm runs contested estates as a core practice area, which means we know exactly which clauses cause the arguments: vague gifts, an executor who was never going to cope, blended-family assumptions that were never written down.
We draft with that in mind. Where there is a real risk of a claim, we will tell you, and we will structure things to reduce it rather than pretending the risk is not there.
Tony Ryan holds a Master of Applied Law in Wills and Estates, so this is technical ground the firm knows well rather than a document produced from a template between other jobs.
Will Planning Matters We Handle
- Preparing a new will
- Updating an existing will after a life change
- Appointing executors and guardians for children
- Specific gifts, property and family heirlooms
- Blended families and second marriages
- Providing for a child with a disability or a vulnerable beneficiary
- Testamentary trusts, where they are genuinely worth it
- Safe storage of the signed original
- Powers of attorney and guardianship: estate planning
- If a will is later challenged: will disputes
- Defending the estate against a claim: estate litigation
How We Prepare Your Will
1. Get in touch
Call (02) 4397 1500 or book online. Come with a rough idea of what you own and who you want to look after.
2. First consultation
Assets, family, who you trust to be executor, and anything you are worried about. This is where the useful questions get asked.
3. A clear plan and price
You get a draft to read at home, in language you can follow, with our notes on anything we think is worth reconsidering.
4. We get it done
We handle the signing and witnessing correctly, which is where a surprising number of homemade wills fall over, and we can store the original for you.
Will Lawyers Across the Central Coast
What Our Clients Say
Reviews from people we’ve acted for, across business, property, estate and family matters.
Will Planning FAQs
It can be legally valid if it is completed and witnessed correctly. The trouble is that most are not, and the errors only surface when the person is no longer around to explain what they meant. The estates we see in dispute are far more often homemade than professionally drafted.
Whenever the facts change. Marriage, separation, a new child or grandchild, a death in the family, buying or selling property, or a change in who you want as executor. As a general habit, read it over every few years.
Yes, and this catches people out. In NSW, marriage generally revokes an existing will unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage, and divorce affects gifts and appointments in favour of a former spouse. If either has happened, your will needs another look.
Someone organised, trustworthy and likely to outlive you, who can stay calm with family. It is a real job involving paperwork and deadlines. Appointing all four of your children jointly to keep the peace usually creates the opposite.
You can, but leaving out a spouse, child or dependant creates a risk that they will make a family provision claim against your estate. If that is what you want to do, tell us why, and we will talk you through how to reduce the risk of the claim succeeding.
Your estate is distributed according to a statutory formula rather than your wishes, and someone has to apply for letters of administration. It is slower, more expensive and much more likely to cause conflict. See our probate and deceased estates page.
Straightforward wills are usually quoted as a fixed fee, so you know the figure before we start. More complex arrangements, such as testamentary trusts or blended-family structures, cost more, and we will tell you why at the first meeting.
Get your will done in one appointment.
Most wills take a single meeting and a signing. It is a short job that saves your family a long one.