Bespoke will drafting for mortgaged homes
A will that says who inherits the home, whether the loan is repaid from the estate or taken on, and how the children are provided for.
Wills & estates · Sunshine Coast
Wills & Estate Lawyer Aroona
Almost everyone here owns their home, and nearly half still have a mortgage. In Aroona the house and the loan are most of the estate.
Aroona has the lowest rental rate in this group, 14.2%, and the highest mortgage rate, 47.0% of dwellings, at the 2021 Census. 96.2% are separate houses. Couples with children make up 44.4% of families and one-parent families 11.9%, and the median age is 43. A wills and estate lawyer Aroona families use plans around a single large asset, the home and its loan, and checks that insurance and super would clear what is owed. The first conversation is free.
When most of an estate is one house with a loan against it, the will is really a plan for that loan. Who inherits the home, whether the loan is repaid from the estate or taken on by the beneficiary, and whether life insurance covers the gap are the questions that decide whether the family keeps the house. We answer those first, before the other assets and the executor.
First consultationFree and confidential
FeesFull fee quoted before drafting starts
WhereBirtinya office, by appointment
Why Aroona Families Choose Catton Roderick
Our Birtinya office is a short drive from Aroona, and appointments are booked for a full check of the home loan against the cover. Dr Darren Catton, the firm's principal, handles each wills matter personally. He holds a Doctorate of Juridical Science from QUT, carries the TEP designation for specialist trust and estate practitioners, and sits on the Queensland Law Society's Property Law committee. The firm states he has practised Queensland estate law for more than 30 years.
- Loan and insurance checked against each other, so the family can keep the house if one of you dies.
- Property-law depth for a single dominant asset, including title and transfer questions.
- Free, confidential first consultation, full fee quoted before drafting.
- Executor guidance covering the loan and insurance claims, in writing.
- Signed originals stored securely, with a copy for your records.
Our Wills and Estate Services for Aroona
Enduring powers of attorney and probate are covered here as general Queensland law only. Nothing above is personal legal, financial or superannuation advice.
Estate planning around the home loan
Checking that life insurance and super would clear the loan and support the family, and that nominations match the will.
Executor selection, with written guidance
Choosing someone who can deal with a mortgage, insurance claims and the sale or transfer of a property, and setting out those steps in writing.
Family provision claims (Queensland)
How Queensland law treats claims by a spouse, child or dependant, relevant where the home is the main asset in dispute.
Why Aroona's Home Loans Shape the Will
Aroona has 3,466 residents, a median age of 43, and a median household income of $1,857 a week. It is almost entirely detached (96.2% separate houses), with 36.8% of dwellings owned outright, 47.0% mortgaged and only 14.2% rented, the lowest rental share in this group. Couples with children lead the family mix at 44.4%, and one-parent families are 11.9%. Professionals (23.1%), technicians and trades (17.3%) and clerical and administrative workers (13.1%) lead the workforce. Median mortgage repayment is $1,950 a month.
With so many households carrying a home loan, the central question is what happens to the loan. Our appointments work through the home, the loan and the cover first, then the guardianship clause, then the executor. That order keeps the family's home in view.
Areas We Serve
We act as a wills and estate lawyer for Aroona and the surrounding Sunshine Coast localities, from the Birtinya office:
Our Birtinya office, address and hours · Book a free consultation
FAQs
If one of us dies, can the other keep the house?
Often yes, if the loan is covered by life insurance or other funds and the will and the title are arranged to match. Without that, the surviving partner may have to sell. We check the figures before drafting.
Should the mortgage be paid out of the estate or taken on by the beneficiary?
Either can work. It depends on the other assets and the family's plans, and the will needs to say which applies so the executor is not left guessing.
Is my life insurance enough to cover the loan?
It is worth checking. Cover set when the loan started may fall short as the loan, family or income has changed. We recommend reviewing it alongside the will.
Who should be our executor if we both own the home?
Someone who can deal with a property sale or transfer, a loan and insurance claims, and who is still in reach. We recommend naming a substitute as well.
What does a will cost?
It depends on the estate. The first consultation is free, and the full fee is quoted before work starts.
Aroona, and How to Reach Us
Aroona sits on the Sunshine Coast's coastal strip between Buddina and Currimundi, in the Sunshine Coast Council area. It is an established family suburb of detached homes, and its mortgage-heavy profile reflects a community that bought in during periods of growth on the coast. Today it is home to 3,466 people with a median age of 43.
Catton Roderick Lawyers
| Business | Catton Roderick Lawyers |
|---|---|
| Phone | 1300 673 792 |
| info@cattonroderick.com.au | |
| Office | Regatta 1 Business Centre, 2 Innovation Parkway, Birtinya QLD 4575 (by appointment) |
| Other offices | Unit 3, 9 East Street, Caboolture QLD 4510 (Mon–Fri 9–5) · Level 1, 133 Redcliffe Parade, Redcliffe QLD 4020 (Tue–Fri 9–5) |
| Serving | Aroona, Buddina, Currimundi, Mountain Creek, Mooloolaba and the wider Sunshine Coast |
We do not have an Aroona office. Aroona clients are seen at our Birtinya office by appointment.