Law Report

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01 | Can a stranger inherit everything you own?

August 14, 2026

An elderly man goes into respite care and meets a nurse he's never known before. Within days she's bought him a will kit and had a document drawn up that leaves everything to her. He dies weeks later. Was that his clear settled wish, or something else entirely? Proving the difference is where it gets hard. And messy.When it comes to wills, how big an issue are fraud and undue influence? And what sorts of questions arise over how a will is made?Melbourne lawyer and elder financial abuse specia...

02 | The will written on a frozen fish packet

August 14, 2026

A frozen fish packet. An unsent text. A tractor fender. Courts have accepted all of these as valid wills.You want to write a will and make sure that your assets go to those who you think deserve your generosity.So, how can you make sure the will is binding? Does it need to be a formal document, printed out and signed with a pen? Or can a valid will be a word document, an email or text message? Can it be written on a frozen fish packet or the wall in your home?Wills expert Professor Pru Vines ...

03 | He worked the farm for decades and got nothing

August 14, 2026

You work the family farm your whole life, then it's left to someone else.When drafting a will, the law says you don't have to be fair or equal in deciding who will receive your estate.So, after you pass away, can disgruntled family members or friends challenge your will in the courts? Conflicts over inheritance arise in many families but are particularly fraught and complex in farming families.Andrew Lawson of the Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law at the University of New England expl...