Pacific Law – Advanced Estate Planning – 8th October 2025

In this webinar, you’ll get a clear, practical walkthrough of advanced estate planning—an area most people think they’ve handled, but often get dangerously wrong.

Derek Sky and Ellie Whitehouse from Pacific Law break down what really happens to your assets, your superannuation, your trusts, your companies, and even your medical decisions when you pass away or lose capacity.

More importantly, they explain how to structure everything correctly so your wealth ends up exactly where you want it, without tax disasters, family disputes, or unintended beneficiaries derailing your plans.

What you’ll learn from this session:

Why a Will Isn’t Enough

Most people assume a simple will covers everything. Derek and Ellie show why that’s not true. They explain intestacy laws (and how dramatically they vary between states), what happens to joint assets, and why personal assets, super, trusts, and life insurance all follow different legal rules. You’ll understand exactly what’s actually controlled by your will—and what isn’t.

Superannuation & Life Insurance – The Hidden Traps

Super does not automatically form part of your estate. Ellie unpacks binding death benefit nominations, reversionary pensions, who can legally receive super, and the tax consequences for spouses vs adult children. You’ll learn how to avoid hundreds of thousands in unnecessary tax by structuring your super correctly.

Trusts, Companies & Control

If you use investment trusts or company structures, this session is essential. You’ll learn why you can’t “leave” trust assets in a will, why the appointor is the most powerful person in the trust, how unpaid present entitlements work, and how to ensure the right people take control of your structures when you’re gone.

Choosing Executors, Guardians & Attorneys

The session outlines how to choose the right executor (and the wrong people to avoid), how guardianship for children works, and the importance of powers of attorney for medical and financial decisions. You’ll see real-world examples of what happens when these roles are poorly chosen—or left to chance.

Testamentary Trusts: Asset Protection, Tax Minimisation & Bloodline Control

A major highlight is the deep dive into testamentary discretionary trusts—what they are, why they’re so powerful, and how they protect inheritances from business risks, divorce, bankruptcy, and predators. Derek also shows how testamentary trusts can slash tax by streaming income to children at adult tax rates.

Special Disability Trusts

Ellie explains how these specialised trusts support beneficiaries with severe impairments while preserving government benefits—crucial for families needing long-term care strategies.

How to Review, Update & Protect Your Estate

You’ll learn when to update your will, how to avoid common drafting mistakes, how to structure assets to reduce the risk of a will being contested, and why documentation around capacity is increasingly important in modern estates.

Your Next Step

By the end of this webinar, you’ll understand the full landscape of estate planning—from wills and super nominations to trusts and attorney powers—and exactly what must be updated or corrected in your own affairs.

If you’ve ever assumed your current will “should be fine,” or if you haven’t reviewed your estate plan in years, this session is your wake-up call. The decisions you make today determine whether your wealth protects your family—or becomes the source of conflict, tax loss, or unintended outcomes later.

Action Items

• Discuss setting up a testamentary discretionary trust with the speakers.
• Ensure binding death benefit nominations for superannuation are up to date.
• Consider appointing multiple executors or attorneys to manage estate and financial affairs.
• Consult with a lawyer regarding any overseas assets and the need for international wills.
• Review current will and estate planning documents.