Wills & Estates · Melbourne CBD
5 estate planning & testamentary trusts firms in Melbourne CBD, Victoria, including Melbourne.
5 firms
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
Provey Conveyancing provides conveyancing services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Planning & Environment and Business & Commercial Law.
For families with significant assets, blended families or business interests, an estate plan goes beyond a simple will. Testamentary trusts can offer tax benefits and asset protection for beneficiaries. Planning also covers super, insurance, family trusts and company control.
Good estate planning protects beneficiaries, reduces tax and keeps family businesses and farms running through a transition.
Testamentary trusts can allow income to be distributed to minors at adult tax rates under Australian tax law. Planning also covers family trusts, company control and binding super nominations, which pass outside the will.
Understand the next step
Explain what you want the plan to achieve, including family needs and business interests. A more complex structure should be justified by its purpose and ongoing administration, not chosen merely because it is available.
Clarify whether tax and financial advice are included or must be obtained separately before implementing the plan.
A Melbourne CBD search can be useful for comparing teams with different specialisations. Ask who will do the work and who will supervise it, especially when a firm has several practice departments.
For estate planning & testamentary trusts, ask which parts of the work the firm handles itself and whether it has relevant VIC experience. Let the lawyer know if a property, employer, other party or existing proceeding is outside Melbourne CBD. Your home address alone does not determine the applicable process.
List family members, property, debts, companies, trusts and superannuation. Identify where original documents are held and which assets are jointly owned.
Ask what each document or application would achieve. Confirm which state rules and asset-ownership arrangements need to be considered.
Agree on signing, storage and future reviews, or on the executor’s responsibilities for records and distributions. Identify changes that should prompt further advice.
Compare a simple-will quote with more involved planning or estate administration. Ask about searches, applications, valuations and coordination with an accountant.
Ask for a written scope identifying the work you are authorising, the person responsible and when costs will be reviewed. If you only want advice on one step, say so before the firm begins wider work.
Provide the date of death and any estate correspondence promptly. Ask about relevant deadlines before distributing assets, signing a release or assuming a dispute can wait.
In Victoria, the Magistrates' Court hears most criminal and minor civil matters, with the County Court and Supreme Court handling more serious cases. Residential tenancy, planning, building and discrimination disputes often go to VCAT. Lawyers are regulated by the Victorian Legal Services Board + Commissioner, which also handles complaints.
Good to know
A trust created by your will that takes effect on your death. It can protect beneficiaries and offer tax advantages for distributions to children.
Most matters start in the Magistrates' Court. More serious cases go to the County Court or the Supreme Court of Victoria. Family law matters are heard by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Practising certificates in Victoria are managed by the Victorian Legal Services Board. You can check a solicitor's status on its public register or by contacting it directly.
Southbank, VIC · Melbourne CBD
Tolhurst Druce & Emmerson provides legal services in Southbank, VIC. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Business & Commercial Law.
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
Truly Legal provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Business & Commercial Law.
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
Cash and Stavroulakis Lawyers provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Family Law and Parenting & Child Custody.
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
R & J LAWYERS provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Probate & Estate Administration and Property & Conveyancing.
Directory guidance updated 19 September 2026. General information to help you prepare for a conversation with a professional; not advice about your individual matter. Check current requirements with the relevant authority.