Direct Lawyers’ Wills and Estate Blog

Who decides what happens to your body after death in Queensland

Who has the Last Word on Body Donation?

A Queensland resident who wishes to donate their body for therapeutic (transplant to the body of a living person) or medical/scientific purposes may do everything right in expressing these wishes before their death. They could:

  • register themselves as an Organ Donor on the National Register,

  • make a direction in their Will to donate their body tissue, and

  • make a Statutory Declaration the day before they die stating that they want to donate their body tissue.

They could take all these measures, and yet the decision may still be at the whim of someone else!

The risks of writing a DIY Will

The DIY Will: Cheap Now, Expensive Later

Those in the Estate Planning space are often confronted with the question: “Why shouldn’t I do my Will myself?” It is a fair question, especially considering that DIY Will websites or DIY Will kits seem to make the whole process look easy. DIY Wills are almost always the cheaper option. However, just because something is easy does not mean it is quality, and cost savings in the short term may lead to more expensive outcomes.