http://www.greatsouthernwills.com.au/

Great Southern Wills, 12A Frederick House, 70-74 Frederick Street, Albany (2026)

03/09/2026

Most of us have never written down where everything actually is.

The accounts, the super, the insurance, the child’s allergies, the original trust deed of the trust which owns the farm, what we'd want…

If something happened, your family could be left piecing it together during the worst time of their lives.

Great Southern Wills has the solution:

A comprehensive strategy meeting with one of our senior lawyers where we go on a deep dive into your estate and structures (and where things actually are).

Your Estate Plan diagram.

My Workbook Letter of Wishes, a guide for your Executor and loved ones.

These 3 things have assisted our client’s Executors in administering the estate. And often we hear in our boardroom: “Is that it? It’s easy”.

Our Workbook Letter of Wishes has been published by Bernadette for our clients, and we’ve been reminded that we published it 5.5 years ago! We’ve given over 2,500 of these books since publication and still have tears in our eyes when we see them completed, in their white boxes, brought in by our client’s Executor.

Grab a copy of your Workbook today. Book a strategy session with one of our senior lawyers here: https://greatsouthernwills.com.au/book-your-consultation/ or call our office 9800 1217.

We look forward to assisting you.

01/09/2026

Have that Niggling Feeling

before you walk on that plane?
before your operation?
before doing something risky?

You know the benefits are there and you will have the time of your life... but are you worried about what happens if something happens to you?

A number of our clients have seen us with that Niggling Feeling and then after signing their Will and Estate Plan, those niggling feelings are gone and replaced with Peace of Mind. 🤩

Want to join them?

Book your strategy session with a senior lawyer here: https://greatsouthernwills.com.au/book-your-consultation/ or call our office 9800 1217.

We look forward to working with you so that you can do extraordinary things!

27/08/2026

We don’t want to go viral…

We aren’t keen on having 10,000s of followers or likes.

We serve our local community only –

those who live, work, or have family, in the Great Southern region, who need up to date properly advised Wills and Estate Plans.

What’s the Great Southern region?

The city hub of Albany. To the East all the way to Bremer Bay. To the West all the way to the Valley of the Giants. And to the North all the way to Lake Grace. And everything in between – our beautiful broadacre farms, our vineyards, our forests, our fishing industry, our tourist industries, those in health care and social assistance, etc.

There are 67,150 of us in the region according to the GSDC.

And yes, we receive enquiries from people outside of the region. And we will refer you to several trusted lawyers who are part of our networks.

We have on the occasion have had Perth/Broome/etc residents catch up with Albany family, and we’ve on that occasion assisted them with their estate plans.

We have also on the occasion had financial advisers, accountants, and lawyers, outside the region referring local people to us as well. Thank you.

By limiting the people we serve, we can provide a higher quality service to our local people.

Our commitment is to serve local, so that the transfer of intergenerational wealth is seamless and families can continue contributing to, and enjoying, our beautiful region.

Thank you for understanding.

And thank you for referring local clients to us, our dream clients.

https://gsdc.wa.gov.au/about/great-southern-regional-data

27/08/2026

Your biggest accomplishment in business isn't what you think....

25/08/2026

She thought her share of the home would go to her kids….

They fell in love.
She sold her house.
He sold his house.

They contributed equally to their new home 50/50 and bought their home as joint tenants.

If she dies first, her share of the home will go to him. Not her kids. And he can do what he likes with the home.

Is this what she would have wanted?

This is why it is so important to obtain the title details of your property.

There is a good reason why it would have been placed as joint tenants –

however, if she wanted to give her share of the home to her kids, the title should be held as tenants in common in equal shares (or he and she have a mutual will agreement and mirror wills – but this is a bit technical).

And this is where a good lawyer will conduct those important title searches and advise you accordingly.

Book your strategy session with one of our senior lawyers here: https://greatsouthernwills.com.au/book-your-consultation/ or call our office 9800 1217

24/08/2026

Albany, you’ve been through lots lately.

You’re not sure what you’ll do in relation to the gas network decommissioning. We heard last week of compensation to households and businesses, but you are still uncertain.

Your crops are in the ground and short of doing a rain dance, you’re not sure when you’ll get more rain.

Your kid had a day off school on Friday (in the middle of term) and you’ve been scrambling on who will look after them.

It’s sunny and then it’s cloudy and you’re not sure when to put your laundry on the line.

As Rino says there’s two certainties: uncertainty and death.

And we can help you with the first one.

By receiving advice tailored to you and having signed a tailored Will and Estate Plan, you can have certainty.

Certainty that your superannuation fund will give your superannuation and life insurance to the person/people you nominate.

Certainty that if you can’t make financial/legal/property decisions, that someone you trust can make them for you.

Certainty that if you can’t make medical/health/lifestyle decisions, that someone who knows your values and preferences can make them for you.

Certainty that you’ve done what you can to ensure your estate will be given to the people you have chosen.

Certainty that you and your family can have peace of mind – and you can enjoy the present!

Book your strategy session with a senior lawyer here: https://greatsouthernwills.com.au/book-your-consultation/ or call our office 9800 1217.

20/08/2026

OUR STORY

Great Southern Wills is led by – Bernadette Terry and Paul Terry – and was born out of a shared vision to ensure everyone in the Great Southern region is taken care of with a carefully prepared Will and Estate Plan.

But that’s not how our story starts. Great Southern Wills also begins with a romance…

After working for corporate law firms in Sydney for 12 years for high-profile clients, our resident lawyer Bernadette decided to make the move to Albany in 2012 to fulfil a yearning for helping not only the wealthy but those who really needed Wills and Estate Planning: the farmers, the small business owners and young families.

When Bernadette stepped off the plane in Albany, she didn’t know anyone, arriving with one suitcase far away from the hustle and bustle she was accustomed to.

Within a few months, Bernadette became fully immersed in the local community, falling in love with the Great Southern region and a special someone that lived there, long-time local and financial services professional Paul.

Paul and Bernadette first met while competing in a yacht race, and soon became flatmates, friends, partners, husband and wife, parents and now business owners.

18/08/2026

That’s the thing with DIY Wills…. You don’t know what you don’t know.

Or the online provider doesn’t know your circumstances well enough. With online providers, you are simply completing a form to populate into a ready-made Will template. It’s not tailored for your family and for your circumstances.

Before we started our law firm, we saw what can happen when someone had a DIY Will. And it’s not pretty. Here are some of the things that we saw.

Since starting GSW, we now see more peace of mind for clients. Widows/widowers/children meeting us at our office with our client’s white box including estate plan diagram and workbook and they often say: “is that it?”; “that was easy”. And it’s meant to be easy for your loved ones.

See a specialist estate planning lawyer who will make it an easier process for your loved ones. They’ll do the heavy lifting for you and have a comprehensive understanding of your family and your circumstances and prepare a comprehensive estate plan for you.

Which side do you want to be on? The left or the right?

If the right, we are happy to meet with you. Book your strategy sessions with a senior lawyer here: https://greatsouthernwills.com.au/book-your-consultation/ or call our office 9800 1217.

We look forward to meeting with you.

13/08/2026

24 local professionals gathered on a cold Winters Albany night.

Accountants, lawyers, real estate agents, and conveyancers.

Usually, we don’t gather for a training event with other industries, but last night’s topic is relevant to all of us. That topic: Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing.

You may have encountered this regime. For example, as a buyer of real estate, your real estate agent/conveyancer/lawyer will want extra identification and information from you – including your biometrics and source of your funds.

It’s an extra layer of compliance.

And with that many questions.

Dr James O’Donovan guided us and gave us insights and tips.

There was further discussion, shared knowledge and experiences, and collaboration amongst us at drinks.

It was an honour to watch and sponsor this event.

Thank you to the Law Society of Western Australia for organising this event.

Thank you to Jim for your valuable guidance.

And big thank you to the 24 financial crime-fighting heroes who attended! We truly appreciate your attendance, complying with the regime, and your ongoing compliance (while also running a business). We are here to support you.

11/08/2026

OUR COMMUNITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

Our team are quite active in the community.

You may see us at the Farmers and Boatshed markets, at school events, walking down York Street, lining up at the servo or at the bank…

And we see many of our clients and their families. As part of the estate planning process, we get to know you – your family, your assets, your goals, your dreams. It helps us prepare the best estate plan for you!

And with around 62,000 individuals in the region, we bet ya, we’ve acted for many in the region.

And one thing is for certain… we hold your information in our heads with the strictest of confidence.

It’s our number one rule here at GSW. Confidentiality.

Because we want you to be comfortable that what you say to us will be provided in the strictest confidence.

We all walk the same streets, attend the same shopping centre, and as you know everyone talks in Albany.

We also won’t acknowledge you in public, unless you acknowledge us first. We’ll then meet you with a smile. Ps, we’ve had on the occasion, clients yell “oh everyone, that’s our Wills lawyer, you need your Will done with them”.

With over 40 years’ combined legal experience, our teams’ brains are vaults. Our clients’ stories are in our head and in our secure systems and will remain there and not divulged. That’s our promise.

We also don’t use AI in our law firm, which extends our promise to you that confidentiality is of utmost importance.

Great Southern Wills

03/09/2026

01/09/2026

27/08/2026

27/08/2026

25/08/2026

24/08/2026

20/08/2026

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11/08/2026

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