A Self Managed Super Fund can be one of the biggest financial decisions that a family may make, over time it has the prospect of becoming a larger asset than the family home, and investment property or a business asset. Planning and designing a SMSF can be one of the most rushed over steps, however, and a simple analysis of your SMSF might save years of grief.
Death benefits and estate planning with the self managed superannuation fund environment is complex and without necessary planning can up end the best made structures. We are now faced with families attempting to split funds where estate planning was an afterthought, the underlying assets of the fund are unable to be transferred and it is likely that the fund will face significant taxation consequences, all because the deed was off the shelf.
The operation of a SMSF has been constantly impacted by change in legislation, unfortunately there is limited case law which gives direction on to how assets are to be distributed in death, and for some families this can be horrific in terms of not only financial uncertainty but also disputes between family members.
In developing estate planning through a SMSF, much of it is in the initial stages, ensuring that the fund is properly established, that the deed is reflective of the needs of the family and that in the event of death that the necessary structures are in place. The process does not need to be overly complicated, but with careful management, we can ensure that your fund reflects your wishes. This can be relatively easy to manage.
Contact us at A.D.S. Law to find out more, before that fund gets established we can walk you through the process.
Get an analysis of your SMSF, or plan your SMSF with Armstrong Doessel Stevenson Lawyers.
