AI Prompt Library

Wills & Estates prompts for Australian lawyers

These prompts are designed for AU wills and estates lawyers handling will drafting, probate and letters of administration, family provision claims, and contested estates. Copy any prompt, replace placeholders with your matter facts, and run it.

In short

A curated library of 25 AI prompts for Australian wills and estates lawyers. Each prompt is grounded in state succession legislation and current Supreme Court practice. Use them with Quillio for will drafting, probate applications, family provision research, and estate administration — every output cites back to authority.

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Drafting

Drafting prompts (5)

Draft a straightforward will

Prompt

Draft a simple will for a testator resident in [state]. Testator: [name, age, marital status]. Executors: [names]. Beneficiaries: [details]. Include all standard clauses required for formal validity under the Wills Act/Succession Act of the relevant state.

Example use: A will for a 55-year-old NSW testator leaving everything to spouse, then equally to two adult children.

Draft a testamentary trust will

Prompt

Draft a will incorporating a testamentary discretionary trust for asset protection and tax planning. Testator: [details]. Trustee: [name]. Primary beneficiaries: [details]. Include standard trustee powers and default distribution clauses.

Example use: A will for a testator with $3M estate wanting to protect assets for adult children from creditors and family law claims.

Draft a mutual will agreement

Prompt

Draft mutual wills and the accompanying contract for a couple in [state]. Parties: [details]. Agreed disposition: [details]. Include the equitable floating obligation clause and evidence of intention.

Example use: A blended-family couple wanting to ensure assets pass to children from prior relationships.

Draft an enduring power of attorney

Prompt

Draft an enduring power of attorney under the [state] legislation. Principal: [details]. Attorney(s): [details]. Powers: [financial/personal]. Include activation conditions and any limitations.

Example use: An EPOA for an elderly Victorian client appointing two children jointly for financial matters.

Draft a statutory declaration for lost will

Prompt

Draft a statutory declaration in support of an application for probate of a lost will. Deponent: [details]. Circumstances of loss: [details]. Include facts relevant to the presumption against revocation.

Example use: Where the original will cannot be located but a signed copy exists in the lawyer's file.

Research

Research prompts (5)

Research family provision time limits

Prompt

Research the time limits for bringing a family provision claim in [state] and the court's discretion to extend time. Cite the relevant section of the Succession Act and the current leading authority on extensions.

Example use: When a prospective claimant approaches the firm 9 months after the grant of probate in NSW.

Research informal wills

Prompt

Research the current Supreme Court approach in [state] to admitting informal documents to probate under the dispensing power. Cite the relevant section and the leading appellate decisions.

Example use: Where the deceased left a signed note on a phone rather than a formal will.

Research testamentary capacity test

Prompt

Research the current test for testamentary capacity, starting from Banks v Goodfellow and tracing modern Australian authority. Summarise the elements and any recent refinements.

Example use: For preparing a challenge to the will of an elderly testator with documented cognitive decline.

Research notional estate provisions

Prompt

Research the notional estate provisions under the Succession Act 2006 (NSW). Cover the designating criteria, the prescribed transactions, and the leading authority on claw-back.

Example use: Where a significant asset was transferred to a joint account shortly before death.

Research mutual wills and the equitable floating obligation

Prompt

Research the current authority on mutual wills and the equitable floating obligation that binds the survivor. Cover the evidentiary threshold to establish mutual wills and remedies for breach.

Example use: Where one party to mutual wills remarries and drafts a new will in favour of the new spouse.

Review

Review prompts (5)

Review a will for formal validity

Prompt

Review this will for formal validity under the [state] Succession Act/Wills Act. Check execution, attestation, witnessing, revocation clauses, and any ambiguity in dispositive clauses. Flag any risks.

Example use: A will prepared by another firm brought in for a second opinion before signing.

Review a family provision claim

Prompt

Review this family provision statement of claim. Analyse whether the claimant is an eligible person, assess the likely merits under the two-stage test, and identify any weaknesses in the claim.

Example use: A stepchild claim against an estate where the deceased had provided financial support for many years.

Review an estate inventory

Prompt

Review this estate inventory for completeness. Identify any missing asset categories, check for joint assets that do not form part of the estate, and flag any items requiring further valuation.

Example use: Preparing for a grant application where the deceased had interests in multiple entities.

Review a caveat against probate

Prompt

Review this caveat lodged against a grant of probate. Assess whether the grounds are arguable, identify procedural defects, and advise on whether to apply to have the caveat removed.

Example use: A caveat lodged by an estranged family member on the day the grant application was filed.

Review an executor's accounts

Prompt

Review these executor's accounts for an estate in administration. Check for proper categorisation, any undisclosed distributions, and compliance with the executor's duties under the Trustee Act.

Example use: Where a residuary beneficiary has requested an account before distribution.

Client comms

Client comms prompts (5)

Explain the probate process

Prompt

Draft a plain-English explanation of the probate process in [state]. Cover the steps from death to final distribution, typical timeframes, and the executor's duties.

Example use: For a newly appointed executor unfamiliar with their role.

Explain a family provision claim

Prompt

Draft a plain-English letter explaining to an executor what a family provision claim is, the likely timeline, and their options (defend, mediate, settle).

Example use: When an executor first receives notice of a claim against the estate they are administering.

Letter on executor's duties

Prompt

Draft a letter to a newly appointed executor setting out their duties, powers, and personal liability. Include practical steps for the first 30 days.

Example use: Following a client's recent appointment as executor of a parent's estate.

Explain testamentary trusts to a client

Prompt

Draft a plain-English explanation of testamentary trusts for a client considering one in their will. Cover asset protection, tax treatment of minors, and the trade-offs.

Example use: An initial consultation with a client with young children and significant assets.

Letter notifying beneficiaries of a grant

Prompt

Draft a letter to beneficiaries notifying them that probate has been granted. Include their entitlement, the estimated timeframe to distribution, and the estate's current position.

Example use: Within 2 weeks of a grant of probate in a straightforward estate.

Strategy

Strategy prompts (5)

Strategy for defending a family provision claim

Prompt

Develop a strategy for defending this family provision claim. Facts: [details]. Consider the eligibility threshold, the adequacy of provision, competing claims, and mediation options.

Example use: Where an adult child with substantial independent means is claiming against the estate of their parent.

Strategy for contested capacity claim

Prompt

Develop a strategy for challenging a will on the ground of lack of testamentary capacity. Facts: [details]. Consider evidentiary requirements, medical records, and the burden of proof.

Example use: Where the testator executed a will six months before death following a diagnosis of dementia.

Strategy for complex estate administration

Prompt

Develop an administration plan for this complex estate. Assets: [details]. Identify asset realisation order, tax issues (CGT on death, deceased estate distributions), and creditor management.

Example use: An estate comprising operating businesses, a self-managed super fund, and foreign assets.

Strategy for advising on estate planning

Prompt

Develop an estate planning strategy for a client with: [family circumstances, asset position, concerns]. Cover wills, EPOAs, advance care directives, super beneficiary nominations, and trust structures.

Example use: A business owner with a blended family and $5M in assets across personal and SMSF structures.

Strategy for mediation in a contested estate

Prompt

Develop a mediation strategy for a contested estate matter. Parties: [details]. Identify the settlement range, the litigation risks, and a negotiation plan for the mediation day.

Example use: A mediation between executors and a disappointed beneficiary ahead of a family provision hearing.

Use with Quillio

Run these prompts grounded in AU law

Quillio is built for Australian wills and estates practice — every research output cites current state succession legislation and Supreme Court authority. See /practice-areas/wills-estates-lawyers for the full feature set, or start a free trial at /free-trial to use these prompts on your own matters.

These prompts are templates — always verify outputs against source material and current legislation before relying on them in client matters.

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