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Advance care planning
Advance care planning means preparing documents now that will help your family and friends make decisions for you, if you’re not able to make them yourself.
For further information visit advancecaredirectives.sa.gov.au and advancecareplanning.org.au.
Advance Care Planning Australia also has their information available in 15 other languages which can be accessed via their home page.
Superannuation death benefit nominations
When a member of a superannuation fund dies, the fund pays out their death benefit to one or more of their dependents. This includes their preserved amount (the contributions they made while they were working) and any insurance benefit.
You can tell your superannuation fund who you want to receive your death benefit. You do this by completing a death benefit nomination or a binding death benefit nomination. The binding nomination means the fund trustee must follow your wishes. Binding death benefit nominations must be updated every three years. Contact your superannuation fund for a nomination form.
You can only nominate someone who is a financial dependent (or interdependent), such as a spouse, a de facto or a child. If you have another life insurance policy (not connected to your superannuation account), you will need to nominate the beneficiary separately. Contact your insurer to do this.
Many superannuation funds include life insurance attached as a default option. See Superannuation and cancer for more details.
Organising your paperwork
It’s a good idea to have all of your paperwork in one place. This will make it easier if, for example, you need to be in hospital for a long time, and a family member has to help you with financial and legal matters.
Important documents to get together might include:
- birth, marriage and divorce certificates;
- bank and credit card information;
- share and other investment details;
- Centrelink and Medicare details;
- superannuation and insurance information;
- funeral information;
- house title/lease documents;
- passport.
Where to get help and information
- Cancer Council Legal Referral Service 13 11 20
- Guardianship Board (08) 8368 5600
- SA Public Trustee www.publictrustee.sa.gov.au (08) 8226 9200
This is general information, which may be relevant to South Australia only and is not a substitute for legal advice. You should talk to a lawyer about your specific situation.