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Your Estate Lawyer I’m Fiona Shilton. Your Estate Lawyer, Leader of the Strong-Willed Movement. An empathetic, straight-talking, big-hearted lawyer and estate coach.

A person on a mission to make preparing for death and making brave decisions a life-changing experience. I'm based in Adelaide Hills, South Australia but I bring the estate planning magic to you at a time that works best for you. Let me know when you're ready to get started.

There's one word that sums up the worst of estate administration: a sh**tshow.A bady organised, unpleasant, confusing me...
16/10/2026

There's one word that sums up the worst of estate administration: a sh**tshow.

A bady organised, unpleasant, confusing mess where nobody knows what's going on, everyone has an opinion, and the people left behind are left blindsided, or fighting, or trying to dig themselves out from under a mountain of legal and emotional crap.

Most people think estate sh**tshows are caused by greedy relatives or family who all want their piece of the pie.

In my experience, they're actually caused by future dead people who stay silent, let people make assumptions, and believe everyone will just work it out for themselves.

Here's what I see causing the biggest messes:

🥷🏻 The wrong person being named as the executor
🥷🏻 Assets sitting outside the will being distributed differently than expected
🥷🏻 Blended families where expectations differ from legal responsibility
🥷🏻 Wills being used to punish or reward
🥷🏻 No clear succession plan for a business
🥷🏻 People treating death like a divorce
🥷🏻 Families being left with an invalid or outdated will, or no will at all

The best way to avoid a sh**tshow isn't just with a will (though that's one part of the puzzle); it's with an estate plan, including:

✅ an updated legally sound will
✅ documents that take care of you while you're alive
✅ superannuation nominations that match your wishes
✅ options for trusts and other mechanisms to protect your assets
✅ a check of how your assets are actually owned
✅ understanding your legal obligations and who you have to take care of
✅ an understanding of the 'why' behind your wishes
✅ guidance on choosing the right executor

A clear plan means fewer disputes, less confusion and stops people fighting over what you "might" have wanted

Don't leave a sh**tshow. Let's get together and sort things out before you die.

☎️ (08 8312 5970
💻 yourestatelawyer.com.au/book-online

Before you launch into ticking off a checklist of random tasks, do you know what your legal obligations are as an execut...
09/10/2026

Before you launch into ticking off a checklist of random tasks, do you know what your legal obligations are as an executor?

Being an executor isn't just having your name put in someone's will. It isn't a popularity prize where you get to hand out money to beneficiaries. And it isn't making a couple of phone calls and hoping for the best.

If you're the executor of a deceased estate, you have a duty to complete all the tasks required to finalise the estate in accordance with the will AND the law.

But what if you don't know what the law actually is? Surely you can just do your best, or follow the will, or just beg forgiveness if it all goes sideways and ends up in court?

Nope!

As an executor, it's your responsibility to ensure you've sought formal legal advice to ensure all your bases are covered.

"Sorry, Your Honour, I didn't know" won't cut it.

Before you download a checklist or head to ChatGPT for some random general advice on what to do next, do yourself a solid favour and get some initial legal advice from a professional who will look at your specific circumstances and:

👉 help you understand your legal duties and powers
👉 identify red flags in the will and the estate
👉 determine if there are any potential conflicts
👉 ensure assets are owned in a way that can be distributed according to the will
👉 prioritise tasks and actions for you so you meet your obligations
👉 identify what you can do yourself and what you may need assistance with
👉 ensure you're not putting yourself at risk of being personally liable

Find out more 👇🏼
https://bit.ly/4hUKnXP

To have an initial 20-minute chat about a deceased estate you're the executor for, book a time online or call our office.

☎️ (08) 8312 5970
💻 yourestatelawyer.com.au/book-online

You've done the hard work. You've made the appointment to see a lawyer. You've had the hard chats. You've put some measu...
02/10/2026

You've done the hard work. You've made the appointment to see a lawyer. You've had the hard chats. You've put some measures in place. You've faced your own mortality. You've written a will (and all the other documents you need).

You want to look after the people you love if you're no longer around. But what about the people who love YOU? What if they haven't done the same and are quite content to leave you with a mess to sort out?

Nearly every family has someone who refuses to write a will (or update the one they did in 1986). A dad who believes everything will magically sort itself out after they die. A mum who doesn't want to make a fuss. An aunt who thinks lawyers are greedy. A sister or brother who just don't see the point.

As frustrating as it is, you can't force someone to write a will. And sometimes, despite your best efforts, you have to resign yourself to being unable to avoid avoidable problems.

But you can take some simple steps to help make the estate administration process easier and less stressful when the time comes.

👉 Document everything
👉 Sleuth out where the important documents are kept
👉 Get general advice about what life might look like
👉 Understand the executor/administrator role
👉 Chill out; don't peak early with the stress, confusion and conflict
👉 Keep having those awkward but important conversations
👉 Ask for guidance, even if they refuse to formalise it in a will
👉 Get your own ducks in a row!

Read more 👇

https://bit.ly/46WL9yo

If you're finalising an estate or think you're going to inherit a bit of a nightmare, we're always here to help with heart-led, human-centred, judgement-free estate administration.

☎️ (08) 8312 5970
💻 yourestatelawyer.com.au/book-online

An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) is a legal document that appoints someone else to make financial and legal decision...
25/09/2026

An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) is a legal document that appoints someone else to make financial and legal decisions on your behalf.

Attorneys may be authorised to operate bank accounts, pay expenses, manage investments, sign documents, and buy or sell property, depending on how the document is drafted.

When I do estate planning, EPOAs are a non-negotiable because I believe people should be prepared for any eventuality life might throw at them. Sometimes people don't die; they have an accident, or get an illness, or they slowly lose capacity and need other people to make decisions on their behalf that reflect their wishes, values, and ideas about life.

If that's the case, an EPOA is doing the heavy lifting while your will sits waiting in the bottom drawer. An EPOA is a small but mighty document but in the wrong hands it can be dangerous.

Do you know the red flags that someone might be misusing their power as an attorney?

🚩 making unexplained withdrawals or transfers;
🚩 making large payments to themself or their family;
🚩 giving interest free loans or gifts to themself or others;
🚩 selling or transferring property for little or no consideration;
🚩 using the principal's money to fund their own expenses;
🚩 entering into transactions that can't be explained; or
🚩 failing to meet the principal's care expenses despite sufficient assets.

Financial abuse tends to creep in gradually. There are no EPOA police so it's important to know the signs to look for if you have a family member, friend, or client who has lost capacity.

You can find out more here 👇🏼
https://bit.ly/4d05LJA

📣 If you suspect someone is a victim of elder abuse, call the National Elder Abuse Helpline on 1300 651 192

If you have a specific, non-critical concern, you're welcome to book a call with me to talk through your options.

☎️ (08) 8312 5970
💻 yourestatelawyer.com.au/book-online

Would you know what to do if someone you loved died?I often get phone calls from executors hours after their person has ...
18/09/2026

Would you know what to do if someone you loved died?

I often get phone calls from executors hours after their person has died (sometimes they call me before they've died), desperate for guidance on what to do first.

The first thing I tell them is 'I've got you'.

Because here's the thing, when people get asked to be an executor, their brain often fast-forwards to the tasks that come weeks, perhaps even months, after the death:

👉 Engaging a lawyer
👉 Organising letters or administration or a grant of probate
👉 Sorting through paperwork (oh so much paperwork)
👉 Playing referee to arguing beneficiaries
👉 Closing accounts
👉 Selling the house
👉 Distributing assets

What they aren't prepared for are the intense hours and days immediately following a death.

Then I give them my Dos and Don'ts For The First 48 Hours:

💙 Do find someone whose only job is to support you so you can keep yourself upright.
💙 Don't leap into fix-it mode, even if it feels safe. Many of the decisions you make early on have legal and emotional consequences that you can't foresee.
💙 Don't start distributing assets, even if people have been promised things.
💙 Do find a valid will (or copy) even if it feels weird to be going through cupboards and drawers right after someone died.
💙 Do check the will for funeral instructions (which will help make some decisions).
💙 Don't feel rushed into making funeral or mortuary decisions five minutes after finding out your person has died
💙 Do check that children, vulnerable adults and/or pets are taken care of.
💙 Do secure and insure your person's property and assets - as the executor, you are now personally liable for any damage or loss.
💙 Don't get frustrated at the second form you have to fill in - there will be LOTS of them.

You can find out more about what to do when someone dies over here 👇🏼
https://bit.ly/4AfH85k

Have you been part of the executor club? What do you wish you'd known about the first 48 hours?

☎️ (08) 8312 5970
💻 yourestatelawyer.com.au/book-online

I'm living, breathing proof that you can't talk yourself to death!Talking about death, won't make it happen. Talking abo...
11/09/2026

I'm living, breathing proof that you can't talk yourself to death!

Talking about death, won't make it happen. Talking about what you want life to look like after you die, won't make it happen. Talking with a lawyer about what it will actually look like if you're not around, will not make it happen.

NOT talking about it is the real problem.

When you keep quiet, a few things tend to happen:

👉 Things take way longer when nobody knows what you wanted (or didn't want)
👉 People play games of "what the dead person wanted" then argue over answers
👉 Your will (or lack of one) becomes your final word (so it better be good)
👉 You're no longer around to defend yourself or set the record straight
👉 Lawyers get called in to talk on your behalf

Don't wait to start talking about the important things. Get chatting.

If you need someone to talk things through with, we love a good chin wag.

☎️ (08) 8312 5970
💻 yourestatelawyer.com.au/book-online

The purpose of a will is to help people navigate life without you. That means your will needs to reflect what your life ...
04/09/2026

The purpose of a will is to help people navigate life without you. That means your will needs to reflect what your life looks like at the time you die. Not what life looked like 20 years ago, or what you imagine it might look like in 20 years time (or whenever it is you *think* you'll die).

Nobody has a crystal ball, and very few people know when they're actually going to die, so the best you can do is be like a good Boy Scout and be prepared at all times.

That means your will should reflect the assets, relationships, and wishes you have right now - because what and who you have right now are the very things you're trying to protect.
...

That means, if you...

👉 Wrote a will in 1982 but haven't died yet
👉 Wrote a will when you were single and are now married
👉 Wrote a will when you were married and are now not
👉 Wrote a will and nominated an executor who's now dead or doesn't talk to you
👉 Wrote a will before you won the lotto (or sold your $200k house for $2m)
👉 Wrote a will and you were estranged from someone you now like them again
👉 Wrote a will before you had kids to take care of
👉 Wrote a will in 2025 but your life no longer looks the same

🥳 You've outlived your original plan, nd you need a new will 🥳

Read more about estate planning and how it's not just keeping the paperwork updated but also making sure the plan still fits 👇🏼

https://bit.ly/4yccHeN

Or make an appointment for a shiny new estate plan

☎️ (08) 8312 5970
💻 yourestatelawyer.com.au/book-online

In the aftermath of death, whether it's anticipated or comes completely out of the blue, when they're least equipped to ...
28/08/2026

In the aftermath of death, whether it's anticipated or comes completely out of the blue, when they're least equipped to deal with it, families get hit with an avalanche of questions and a seemingly endless mountain of decisions.

Who's the decision maker? Which funeral home? Burial or cremation? Is there anyone (or anything) that needs looking after: kids, pets, houseplants, a business? Where does the money come from: for the funeral, groceries, the rent, the mortgage if the dead person's bank account is closed? What bills even need paying, and who's paying them? Who makes sure the house is safe and secure? Where does all the stuff from the nursing home go? When do you call a lawyer?

That's before you've even made it past the first few days.

Making decisions in the middle of grief, or crisis, or fear is exhausting. And every answer suddenly feels heavy and enormous, right when you want to crawl into your bed and pull the covers over your head.

An estate plan doesn't erase that. But it answers a good chunk of those early questions. Most importantly, it gives you a reason to have some other important conversations with the people you're trusting to be your decision-makers.

Every conversation you have. Every bit of important information you write down. Every chat about what you want life to look like is a gift.

It's one more answer your family don't need to try and figure out without guidance.

If you've had to make decisions after someone has died, what do you wish they'd told you while they were still alive?

☎️ (08) 8312 5970
💻 yourestatelawyer.com.au/book-online

People often tell me they don't have any intention of writing a will because they don't care what happens to them after ...
21/08/2026

People often tell me they don't have any intention of writing a will because they don't care what happens to them after they die.

But here's a funny thing I've noticed. Those same people often have a LOT of big thoughts and feelings about who they want making decisions for, and about, them if they are in an accident, become unwell, or lose capacity.
...

Estate planning isn't just making sure your family, the people you love, or those you have a legal duty to protect are taken care of when you die. It's also about looking after YOU if you're still around but not able to look after yourself.

If you want to have a say in what medical care you receive, how your money is used, what nursing home you go into, but you're unable to communicate that at the time, then you need to make those wishes clear while you still have capacity.

When I do an estate plan, completing Enduring Power of Attorney and Advance Care Directive documents are non-negotiable (even if you tell me you'll do it yourself, or you've had one sitting on your kitchen bench for the past five years).

Here's why:

👉 Completing a highly emotive legal document and thinking about what and who is making decisions if you're still alive can be extremely overwhelming and deserves advice, experience, and guidance.

👉 An Enduring Power of Attorney allows you to nominate a person/s to make legal, financial, and personal decisions on your behalf so someone of your choice is following your wishes (not someone nominated by the Courts).

👉 An Advance Care Directive is a formalised version of a healthcare plan. It enables you to outline your wishes and preferences around future medical care and end-of-life treatment.

👉 Creating these documents as part of your estate plan ensures you're in control of who's making decisions and gives you control of what those decisions are.
...

Nobody knows what's around the corner.

Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/4pKtq3W

If you want to be dead ready AND prepared for anything else life throws at you, let's chat.

☎️ (08) 8312 5970
💻 yourestatelawyer.com.au/book-online

Before you DIY a grant of probate, there's something you need to know. The Supreme Court doesn't care if it's your first...
14/08/2026

Before you DIY a grant of probate, there's something you need to know.

The Supreme Court doesn't care if it's your first time, that you're not a lawyer, or that you have absolutely no idea what you're doing.

The Supreme Court will not bend its procedural and evidentiary rules because you've made the decision to show up as a self-represented Applicant.

The Supreme Court works on evidence and formality not:
...

A grant of probate is a legal document issued by the Courts during the estate administration process. If your application doesn't meet their strict requirements, it will be rejected, requisitioned, or delayed. Every delay costs the estate money and time, puts relationships at risk and perhaps most importantly, puts you as the executor or administrator at risk of being personally liable for any mistakes.

When I help you with estate administration, my job isn't to fill in a piece of paper and submit it on your behalf (if only it were that easy).

It's making sure:

👉 Wills that are technically defective have the extra affidavit evidence to be accepted
👉 Assumptions about who's entitled to what are supported by the law
👉 Executors understand they're exposed to personal risk the moment they act
👉 What families believe the deceased's intentions were will hold weight
👉 Questions that might get asked by the Court have been anticipated in advance
👉 All avoidable problems have been avoided
👉 You are saving time, money, and risk

Estate administration is a legal process. It warrants legal advice.

By all means, DIY your plumbing, your bread making, your haircuts, or your kitchen cabinets, but let's have a chat before you cross your fingers and hope for the best when it comes to finalising a deceased estate.

☎️ (08) 8312 5970
💻 yourestatelawyer.com.au/book-online

Address

28B Mount Barker Road
Hahndorf, SA
5245

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Wednesday 10am - 8pm
Thursday 10am - 8pm
Friday 10am - 8pm
Saturday 10am - 8pm

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+61883125970

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