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Collaborative Estate Planning
Plan your estate with your family at the table, so your wishes are understood and respected.
Most estate disputes start with a surprise: a Will no one expected, or a decision no one understood. Collaborative estate planning brings the right people into the conversation while you are here to explain your wishes, so your family is far less likely to end up in conflict later.
Reviewed by Jacinta Watkins, Wills and Estates Partner, collaboratively trained lawyer, AACP member and Board Member of Collaborative Professionals (NSW & ACT) Inc. Last updated November 2026.
Penrith Office
Ground Floor, Suite 4 291/295 High St, Penrith NSW 2750
Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm
In person, phone or video consultations
Call: 1300 252 529 Get Directions
What is collaborative estate planning?
Collaborative estate planning uses the skills of collaborative practice to plan ahead. You still make your own decisions about your Will and estate. The difference is how you get there.
With your agreement, we hold facilitated family meetings where you can explain your plans, hear concerns and deal with difficult topics early. Where it helps, your accountant, financial planner or a family consultant can join the conversation.
Who it helps most
Blended families
Balancing a new partner with children from an earlier relationship
Family businesses and farms
Where some children work in the business and others do not
Unequal gifts
Where you want to treat children differently and explain why
Vulnerable beneficiaries
Such as a family member with a disability or addiction
Ageing parents
Planning for Powers of Attorney, Enduring Guardianship and aged care
Families who have already had conflict
And want to avoid repeating it
Why plan collaboratively?
- Fewer surprises, fewer disputes. When family members understand your reasons, they are less likely to challenge your Will.
- Your voice is heard first-hand. You explain your wishes yourself, not through a document read after you are gone.
- Practical solutions. Families can agree on succession, roles and timing that suit everyone.
- Relationships protected. Difficult conversations happen with skilled support, not at a funeral.
- A coordinated plan. Your lawyer, accountant and financial adviser work together, not in isolation.
How it works
Your wishes stay your own.
We always take your final instructions in private. This protects your independence and helps guard your Will against later claims of pressure or undue influence.
Meet your collaborative estates lawyer
Jacinta Watkins, Wills and Estates Partner. Jacinta is a collaboratively trained lawyer, an AACP member and a Board Member of Collaborative Professionals (NSW & ACT) Inc. With almost 20 years as a lawyer, she founded Estates with Compassion to help families protect more than money.
Jacinta Watkins
Partner
Estate Planning and Deceased Estate
Collaborative Professional
Jacinta leads our wills and estates work, from estate planning and powers of attorney to probate and deceased estates.
Frequently asked questions
Do my children have to agree with my Will?
No. The decisions are yours. Family meetings are about explaining and listening, not getting permission.
What if I don't want my family involved?
That’s fine. We can still plan collaboratively with your accountant and advisers, or prepare a traditional estate plan.
Will this stop a family provision claim?
No plan can rule one out entirely. But a family that understands your reasons is much less likely to make a claim, and a well-documented plan is easier to defend.
Can my spouse and I plan together?
Yes. Many couples, especially in blended families, find the collaborative approach helps them agree on a fair plan.
Start the conversation now, so your family doesn't have to later
Book a conversation with Jacinta to talk through your family, your wishes and whether collaborative planning suits you.
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