Estate Planning Fundamentals

Postgraduate | 2026

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area/catalogue icon
Area/Catalogue
BAFI 6009
Course ID icon
Course ID
202503
Level of study
Level of study
Postgraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course level icon
Course level
2
Study abroad and student exchange icon
Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
Yes
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
Yes
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
Yes
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Note:
Course data is interim and subject to change

Course overview

This course aims to provide an overview of issues in estate planning building upon prior learnings. Review of estate planning legislation and policy provide insight into its role as a professional service safeguarding and transferring a client's wealth in alignment with their objectives. Students will gain understanding of the implications of the changing estate planning legislative environment regarding wills and probate, superannuation taxation, and society's attitudes toward inheritance. Students will gain expertise in establishing adviser engagement, wills probate and succession, taxation of estates, trusts, contracts, responding to family breakdowns and changes in capacity and cognition, preparing them for professional practice.

Course learning outcomes

  • Integrate an understanding of estate planning legislation and policy and its role in the financial planning process
  • Critically review client requirements and select the appropriate forms required in and available for the estate planning process, including wills, powers of attorney, powers of administration, trusts
  • Explicate the implications of capital gains tax for the value of the estate under alternative estate structures, and its implications for distributions to beneficiaries in the case of deceased estates
  • Formulate and present advice on the treatment of death benefit entitlements under various superannuation arrangements, and methods to maximise after-tax distributions to beneficiaries of these superannuation death benefits
  • Critically analyse the impact of social security, declining capacity, and need for aged care on the estate planning process, and explain its implications for individual clients

Prerequisite(s)

N/A

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

N/A