Your Life | Your Legacy | Our Expertise
Focused exclusively on estate planning and deceased estates.
We consider the risks so you don’t have to.
About Woolcock Lawyers
Meet our Director - Claire Van Raay
Claire was admitted to practice in 2015, after working in the legal industry since her early twenties. She holds an Advanced Diploma of Legal Practice, a Bachelor of Laws, a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, and a Master of Laws majoring in Wills and Estates.
Her philosophy is simple. We are humans first. That perspective informs every matter she undertakes. Legal structure matters, but so do relationships, family dynamics and the lived realities behind each estate plan.
As the director of Woolcock Lawyers, Claire leads a focused advisory practice intentionally structured around depth of engagement rather than file volume. Each matter receives her direct involvement and professional oversight, consistent with the firm’s commitment to considered and accountable legal advice.
Claire often tells clients, “Estate planning is the land of Alice in Wonderland. Nothing exists until it exists.”
The consequences of a Will, power of attorney, a trust structure, or a tax decision are rarely felt on the day documents are signed. They emerge later, sometimes years later, when the estate is being administered. That is why her work is grounded in risk mitigation, thoughtful structuring and staying attentive to legal developments, while still allowing flexibility as laws and family circumstances evolve.
Claire has a particular interest in the complexities that arise when families, wealth, business interests and personal values intersect. Estate planning is rarely just technical. It is often layered, sensitive and deeply personal.
Her work commonly involves:
• Testamentary trust Wills
• Blended family structures
• Individuals with no dependants
• Business and trust succession
• Superannuation death benefit strategy
• Protecting vulnerable beneficiaries
• Executor guidance and estate administration
Clients often describe Claire as approachable and easy to speak with, more like a trusted neighbour than a distant professional. She believes estate planning conversations should feel grounded and clear, not intimidating. Behind that demeanour, however, is a structured, strategic and solution focused adviser who thinks carefully about risk, sequencing and long term outcomes.
Under Claire's guidance and oversight, our focus is on preparing estate plans that are legally robust and designed to operate as intended when they are needed most.
Claire is frequently adding to her list of articles and commentary on this website. Feel free to read some of our free general resources.
Dedicated to Estate Planning and Deceased Estates
Woolcock Lawyers is a Victorian based incorporated legal practice focused exclusively on estate planning and deceased estate administration across Australia, excluding South Australia.
We do not practise across multiple areas of law, and we do not undertake disputes. Our defined focus allows us to remain attentive to the legal, procedural and taxation developments that affect estates.
Estate planning is more than the preparation of a Will. It involves understanding asset ownership, superannuation, taxation, family circumstances and future contingencies. Even straightforward estates benefit from clear legal advice to ensure documents operate as intended.
A significant part of that advice involves considering who should be appointed to positions of control, including executors, trustees and attorneys. These decisions are rarely just about relationships. They require thoughtful discussion about family dynamics, individual strengths, the ability to act under pressure and the realistic capacity to provide support over time. Where there is no appropriate person within a client’s immediate circle, we assist in identifying alternative options.
We assist clients seeking estate planning with long term clarity. We also provide limited, time sensitive assistance where circumstances require a basic stand alone Will or power of attorney to avoid an intestacy or facilitate a transaction before travel. These documents are prepared on the understanding that they are temporary measures and will be revisited and properly structured upon the client’s return.
Because we work in both estate planning and estate administration, we understand how documents and appointments operate in practice and how decisions made today affect families later. Our work is deliberate and grounded in the legal and structural detail required to design effective estate plans and administer estates properly.
Where appropriate, we collaborate with accountants, financial planners, corporate and tax lawyers, property lawyers and family lawyers to ensure that legal structures align with broader financial, business and personal arrangements.
Our role is to ensure that your estate planning and estate administration are handled carefully and carried through properly.
If you are seeking focused advice in estate planning or deceased estate administration, we invite you to explore our services and arrange a consultation.
What to expect when working with a lawyer
If you are researching firms for estate planning or deceased estate administration, it is reasonable to ask:
- Who will be providing your advice and documentation, and are they an admitted Australian legal practitioner, or an assistant?
- How long have they practised law?
- How much of their work is dedicated specifically to estate planning and deceased estates?
This is a technical and evolving area of law. Depth of focus and experience can materially affect the advice you receive. I see many law firms offer cheap Wills as a quick add-on service. Those Wills give the illusion of adequacy, but many are worse than having nothing at all.
If you are considering Woolcock Lawyers, our process is risk focused, advice driven and structured.
Whether your circumstances are straightforward or complex, estate planning and deceased estate administration benefit from clear legal advice. Even a basic Will or power of attorney should be prepared with an understanding of how it will operate in practice.
We begin with a focused initial consultation, conducted online or in person, to understand your circumstances, asset profile, family dynamics and objectives. This meeting allows us to identify legal and tax considerations that may not be immediately apparent.
Following that consultation, we provide tailored legal advice and prepare the appropriate documents, or guide you through the steps required to administer the estate in accordance with the law.
Woolcock Lawyers is a private billing practice. We do not provide free legal advice. We offer a brief introductory call to determine whether we are the right fit for your matter, however that call does not include legal advice. Substantive legal advice is provided within a formal consultation.
We operate on a value based pricing model and offer fixed fees where the circumstances allow. The cost of the initial consultation is disclosed upfront. After that meeting, once the scope of work is clear, we provide a written cost estimate in accordance with our professional disclosure obligations. If a matter evolves beyond the anticipated scope, we discuss this with you before undertaking additional work.
Many of our clients lead busy lives and prefer online or after hours meetings. Where required, we also accommodate home and aged care visits.
We are proud to be referred to our clients’ family members and friends, and to have established ourselves as trusted advisers across generations.
All advice is provided by an admitted Australian legal practitioner, qualified and authorised to advise on estate planning and deceased estate administration matters. As a regulated legal practice, our work is undertaken in accordance with the professional and ethical standards that apply to Australian lawyers.