While it is not required, the best way to make a will is to see a private lawyer with experience and expertise in preparing wills.

A private lawyer can

Paying a private lawyer to prepare a will offers the best protection against someone successfully contesting (challenging) a person's will after they have died.

If the formal requirements of a will are not met, a will may be unclear or may be found to be invalid. This may result in expensive and lengthy court proceedings to determine the true wishes of the deceased person.

The Public Trustee can prepare a will for free for certain customers. This includes eligible concession holders and persons under administration or guardianship orders.

The Public Trustee will only prepare a will for eligible customers if it is named as executor. It will charge a percentage of the estate when it administers the estate.

There are also other trustee companies that may make wills free of charge or charge a fee. All trustees may, if they wish, charge a commission to administer the estate if appointed executor.

A lawyer's fees will depend on how long it takes to prepare the will. The more complex a will is, the more expensive it will be.

When choosing whether to use a lawyer, who charges at the time of making the will, or a trustee company, which may have no charge for making the will, but charge a commission for the administration of the estate, it is worth being aware of the real cost of the commission method.