About

Witnessed Twice is an independent information site about the money side of wills, estates and family law in Australia. It is written for people making or updating a will, executors and family members dealing with an estate, people thinking about a family provision claim, and couples working through a separation.

The guides explain how the rules work in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia, with notes for the other states and territories where their rules differ. They cover valid and informal wills, intestacy, probate and its court fees, family provision claims, enduring powers of attorney and guardianship, superannuation death benefits and their tax, capital gains tax on inherited assets, Family Law Act property settlements, superannuation splitting, de facto relationships and child support. Each guide uses illustrative figures to show the arithmetic and points to official sources: federal and state legislation websites, the courts, the ATO, Services Australia, public trustees and Legal Aid commissions.

We are not a law firm, trustee company or financial adviser, and we do not refer readers to paid providers. Nothing on this site is legal, tax or financial advice, and it does not consider your circumstances. Fees and thresholds change, often each 1 July, so check the official source and talk to a lawyer, Legal Aid or a community legal centre about your own situation. Not covered: personal debt, credit and insolvency questions, which have their own specialist services.

How this site is made

Witnessed Twice is an independent information project. Guides are drafted with the help of AI writing tools and checked against official and primary sources before publication; see our Editorial Policy. We are not affiliated with any provider mentioned on the site and do not sell products or services.