Estate Planning Questionnaire

Your people. Your wishes. Your peace of mind.

Tell us about your circumstances and the documents you would like us to prepare. Work through the short sections below and use Back to change your answers before you submit.

You can complete this for one person or together as a couple. Please identify each person’s wishes separately. If a question does not apply, leave it blank. If you are unsure, write “please discuss”.

Before you start: Have names and contact details for your proposed executors, attorneys and medical decision makers handy, together with a brief outline of your assets. Please keep this page open until you submit; this form does not provide a save-and-return link.

When you click Submit to Hemmings Legal, your answers are submitted through our website and sent to our legal team. They help us prepare your estate planning documents. Completing this questionnaire does not itself create or change a Will or power of attorney.

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Thank you. Your questionnaire has been received.

Your answers have been submitted to Hemmings Legal. Our legal team will contact you about the next steps. If you need to correct an answer, email support@hemmingslegal.com.au.

1. Getting started

Tell us who the documents are for. Person 1 is the main contact. If you are completing this together, record Person 2’s wishes separately wherever they differ.

Person 1: full legal name, including all middle names

Contact email

Contact phone number

Who is completing this questionnaire?

Person 1: documents requested

Person 2: full legal name, including all middle names

Person 2: telephone

Person 2: email

Person 2: documents requested

Preferred contact method

Any deadline, upcoming travel, signing needs or existing Hemmings Legal file number?

2. Your details

Please use full legal names. Dates should be DD/MM/YYYY. If a detail is unknown, write “to confirm”. You do not need to provide identification documents, account passwords or bank account numbers.

Person 1: date and place of birth

Person 1: residential address, state and postcode (not a PO Box)

Person 1: occupation (or retired, student, unemployed or home duties)

Person 1: other names used and preferred name

Person 2: date and place of birth

Person 2: residential address, state and postcode (not a PO Box)

Person 2: occupation (or retired, student, unemployed or home duties)

Person 2: other names used and preferred name

Do either of you live outside Victoria or own assets outside Australia? Please specify who and where.

3. Family and relationships

Include children from all relationships, adopted children and stepchildren, and explain each relationship. You can ask to discuss a sensitive matter privately instead of recording details here.

Person 1: relationship status, partner’s name, relationship or marriage dates, previous marriages and divorce dates

Person 2: relationship status, partner’s name, relationship or marriage dates, previous marriages and divorce dates

Children: full names, dates of birth, relationship to each person, other parent’s name and address if not living at home

Grandchildren or other dependants: names, dates of birth and relationship

Does anyone depend on you financially, or need disability, care or other ongoing support?

Any separation, proposed marriage, family dispute, existing court order or family agreement relevant to your planning?

Is anyone helping you complete this form? Give their name and relationship. Do either of you want to speak with us privately or need an interpreter or other assistance?

4. Executors and guardians

Complete this section if a Will is requested. For each person nominated, give full legal name, address, date of birth, phone, occupation and relationship, where known. Explain the order of appointments.

Person 1: first executor(s), how multiple executors should act, and backup executor(s)

Person 2: first executor(s), how multiple executors should act, and backup executor(s)

Would either person like to pay an executor? Identify the person, proposed amount or basis and any conditions.

Person 1: preferred guardians for children under 18, backup guardians and people they should consult

Person 2: preferred guardians for children under 18, backup guardians and people they should consult

Any wishes about children’s schooling, where they live, contact with family or other care arrangements?

5. Gifts and the rest of your estate

Complete this section if a Will is requested. “The rest of your estate” means what remains after debts, expenses and any specific gifts. Explain your wishes in your own words. You can write “please discuss”.

Person 1: specific items, cash gifts or charitable gifts; identify each recipient by full name and relationship (and charity’s exact name and ABN if known)

Person 2: specific items, cash gifts or charitable gifts; identify each recipient by full name and relationship (and charity’s exact name and ABN if known)

Person 1: who should receive the rest of your estate, and in what percentages? Please total 100%.

Person 2: who should receive the rest of your estate, and in what percentages? Please total 100%.

Person 1: what should happen if a beneficiary dies before you? Include their children or other backup recipients and any inheritance age.

Person 2: what should happen if a beneficiary dies before you? Include their children or other backup recipients and any inheritance age.

What age should children or grandchildren receive their inheritance? Identify whose Will and which beneficiaries.

Is anyone to receive a smaller share or be left out? Identify whose Will, the relationship and your reasons, or ask to discuss privately.

Any right to live in a home, blended family arrangement, trust, loan forgiveness, shared property or other special wishes?

6. Assets, debts and super

A brief outline is enough. Identify the owner of each asset. If you do not know how property is owned, write “unsure”. Please leave out bank account numbers, passwords, tax file numbers and policy or membership numbers.

Real estate: property address, owner(s), joint tenants / tenants in common / unsure, ownership shares if known and mortgage lender

Other assets: bank savings, investments, vehicles, valuable items, digital assets and anything overseas; identify the owner

Debts, guarantees or money owed to you: identify the person concerned and approximate amounts

Businesses, companies or trusts: names, your role and ownership, other controllers and any succession wishes

Person 1: superannuation fund(s), life insurance provider(s) and existing death benefit nomination details, if known

Person 2: superannuation fund(s), life insurance provider(s) and existing death benefit nomination details, if known

Superannuation or life insurance wishes and questions for the legal team

Existing Wills, powers of attorney, trust documents, agreements or other documents we should know about; give dates if known

7. Medical decision makers

Complete this section if a Medical Treatment Decision Maker appointment is requested. List nominees in order: first choice, then backups. Include each person’s full legal name, address, date of birth, phone, occupation and relationship where known.

Person 1: medical decision makers in order of preference

Person 2: medical decision makers in order of preference

Any existing advance care directive or medical appointment? Identify whose document and its date if known.

8. Financial powers of attorney

Complete this section if an enduring power of attorney is requested. For each nominee, include full legal name, address, date of birth, phone, occupation and relationship where known. Tell us who acts first and who is a replacement.

Person 1: first attorney(s), replacement attorney(s), and when each replacement should act

Person 2: first attorney(s), replacement attorney(s), and when each replacement should act

Person 1: if more than one attorney, preferred way of acting

Person 2: if more than one attorney, preferred way of acting

Person 1: preferred commencement

Person 2: preferred commencement

Financial matters only, or personal matters as well? Identify each person’s wishes, any limits and any specified commencement event.

9. Personal wishes

Tell us any wishes for each person. You can leave optional questions blank or write “not applicable”.

Pets: names, preferred carers, backup carers and any proposed amount for their care

Person 1: burial or cremation, funeral plan provider, funeral wishes, ashes or organ donation wishes

Person 2: burial or cremation, funeral plan provider, funeral wishes, ashes or organ donation wishes

Any other instructions, questions or information you would like us to know?

10. Check and submit

Use Back to check or change your answers before submitting. Your answers are sent only when you press Submit to Hemmings Legal. This form collects your instructions; it does not itself create or change a Will or appointment.

Is anything still to be confirmed, or would either person like a separate confidential conversation?