How do you deal with the estate of a person who is from another country having residency in Australia and assets located here and overseas?
This is a very interesting area of law and the complexities depend on the circumstances and which country is involved. This week we have been helping the family of a woman who passed away in Brisbane leaving behind a school age daughter on her own.
We are filing an Application to the Supreme Court for Letters of Administration with the Will annexed. This will allow the brother to deal with the estate here and overseas The will has some problems as it was not witnessed and was written in Thai. There are assets in bank accounts in Australia, Singapore, China and Thailand. We have been able to help the distressed family repatriate the body overseas after help from the Consulate. A Family Court Order for “Parental Responsibility” will be made to enable the school and all Government departments to recognize the ability of our client to deal with all matters for the child. Face to face communication and a show of faith in our involvement has been culturally important. The process is then able to be planned to achieve the required orders and assets collected over time and invested by the administrator as trustee. The entire process will take weeks and likely months to finalize. It has been a pleasure to make a difference to this family in giving clear explanations about our laws and procedures and to work with the various departments and Consulate to achieve outcomes.