Why Choose State Trustees?

We’re a Victorian Government-backed company providing financial and legal services for all Victorians at important life moments. Since 1940, State Trustees has been dedicated to supporting Victorians from all walks of life in times of need and when they pass away. 

Our services include preparing Will and Powers of Attorney documents, establishing Trusts, managing your legal and financial affairs if you are unable to, being an executor of your will, and administering deceased estates. 

Why have hundreds of thousands of Victorians chosen State Trustees? Here are just some of the reasons clients trust and rely on our experts.  

Our people take pride in looking after Victorians from all walks of life. We listen to your unique needs and preferences and invest the time to explain what needs doing and then make sure it’s done well. 

We have around 600 employees working across three locations in Victoria – Footscray, Dandenong and Bendigo. Our skilled and experienced team have worked with thousands of clients across a variety of specialist services. Whether your needs are complex or simple, we are here to help. 

We have an 80-year history of being here when you need us. We have the highest level of accountability to the Government and the people of Victoria, not private owners. 

It doesn’t matter how complex or simple your needs might be; our experts can help. Our services include:

• Will preparation: A will is a legal document that tells people what you want to happen to your belongings and who you’d like to care for dependants and pets after you die. The clearer your instructions, the better it is for those you leave behind. Every Victorian 18 or over 18 should have a legally valid will.  

• Executor of your will: An executor is legally responsible for managing your estate after you die. They should be reliable and able to handle complex tasks like probate, debt settlement, communication with beneficiaries and dealing with a variety of legal and financial matters. An executor can be a family member, friend, lawyer, or a professional trustee company like State Trustees.   

• Deceased Estate Administration: You can choose State Trustees as executor of your will, or we can provide support to other executors in carrying out their responsibilities. As Victoria’s leading provider of deceased estate administration, we take the pressure off your loved ones at a difficult time. Our experience can also help you to get the best possible outcomes.  

• Powers of attorney preparation: A Power of Attorney document lets you choose someone you trust, called an Attorney, to step in and make decisions on your behalf if you become unable to do so in the future. You can limit the Attorney’s power to specific matters and elect when the Attorney’s powers commence.    

• Attorneyship Administration: There are moments when accidents, health issues or life challenges can affect our decision-making ability. If you choose to nominate State Trustees as your financial attorney, we can step in when you are unable to manage your financial affairs such handling bills and debt, preparing tax returns, pension and aged care assistance, protecting your money, assets, legal support and advice, and more.   

• Trusts: A trust is usually created by a legal document that outlines how assets such as cash or property should be used, who benefits from them, and who manages it. For example, a trust can be established to provide accommodation or financial support for a loved one. The person or company that is responsible for the trust and manages it is known as the trustee. We can help establish a trust and you can appoint us as your trustee.  

• Financial administration: Financial Administration is a service provided by State Trustees where we are appointed to look after your legal and financial affairs by  Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). As part of this service, we provide support to individuals who are not able to manage their own financial and legal affairs due to disability, illness or injury. As your administrator, we manage your money so that any bills, accounts and debts you have are paid on time, all while making sure you have money for personal spending and peace of mind that your finances are in good order.

• Charitable giving: Our dedicated team can help you choose the best way to give based on the size of your gift, the charities or cause you want to support and the impact you want to create. We also provide a service that delivers a much bigger impact for your chosen cause or charity with your money over the long term. This is called ‘giving in perpetuity’. Giving in perpetuity means creating a trust that provides ongoing financial support to your chosen cause or charity over the long term. Our team of experts are here to deliver on your wishes outlined in your will and make sure that selected causes, charities or projects maximise the ongoing impact of your donation. 

For Sue, creating a new will was a priority once she turned 65.  While she previously had a will created through a local solicitor, Sue chose to update her will using State Trustees on a recommendation from friends. 

“I own a property northwest of Melbourne’s CBD and around four years ago, I sold a portion of the property’s equity to one of my two daughters. This allowed me and my new partner to build a separate dwelling at the back of the home where we now live. I knew I needed to be fair to both daughters and my partner when it came to my assets after I died, but I wasn’t sure the best way to go about it, especially because the title for the house had not yet been clarified. “

Our State Trustees fees are transparent and fair. We itemise all services so clients have a clear understanding of costs before choosing our services. There are no surprise invoices or unexpected fees.  

If you need expert help with your legal and financial affairs, contact State Trustees today. You can call us on 1300 138 672 for a no-obligation, no-cost initial discussion or contact us here.