No. Under section 15 of the Succession Act 1981 (Qld), divorce revokes gifts, executor or trustee appointments, and powers of appointment made to a former spouse in your existing will – but it does not cancel the entire will. Other beneficiaries and provisions remain valid. The divorce order must have taken effect for these revocations to apply. A contrary intention clause in the will may also affect the outcome. This is Queensland-specific – succession law varies between states.

If you are married and separated but not yet divorced: no. Separation alone does not automatically revoke or change any part of your will under Queensland succession law. Your separated spouse remains a beneficiary, executor, and potential intestate heir until divorce is finalised or you update your will manually. Because the mandatory separation period before filing for divorce can last 12 months or more, your will may be out of date for a significant period.

In most cases, yes. Under section 15B of the Succession Act 1981 (Qld), the ending of a de facto relationship revokes a gift made to your former de facto partner in an existing will, and revokes their appointment as executor, trustee, advisory trustee or guardian, in the same way that divorce affects a married couple’s will. This does not apply to an appointment of your former partner as trustee for property left on trust for children you have together, and it does not apply if your will states a contrary intention. Because there is no formal process that marks the end of a de facto relationship the way a divorce order does, it can be less obvious when this rule applies, so reviewing your will as soon as the relationship ends is worthwhile.

Superannuation death benefit nominations are separate from your will. If you have a binding nomination naming your former partner, that nomination may remain in force regardless of your relationship status – divorce does not automatically cancel it. You need to contact your superannuation fund directly to update your nomination. This is general information only, not financial advice.

Potentially, yes. Under the Powers of Attorney Act 1998 (Qld), divorce may revoke a former spouse’s appointment as attorney unless the enduring document expresses a contrary intention. However, separation without divorce does not generally trigger automatic revocation. If your former partner holds your enduring power of attorney, they may still have authority over your financial or health decisions until you take steps to revoke or replace the document.

Not always. Property you own as joint tenants – for example, a home held jointly with a partner – passes automatically to the surviving owner by survivorship, regardless of what your will says. Only property you own as tenants in common, or in your sole name, is distributed according to your will. If your property ownership is changing as part of a property settlement, it is worth checking how each asset is held before relying on your will to direct it.

Marriage automatically revokes existing wills in Queensland unless the will was made in contemplation of that specific marriage. Entering a new de facto relationship does not automatically revoke your will, but it may change who has a claim against your estate. Marriage also affects your enduring power of attorney: under section 52 of the Powers of Attorney Act 1998 (Qld), marrying revokes the appointment of any attorney other than your new spouse, and does not automatically appoint your new spouse in their place – which can leave you without a valid attorney until you make a new document. Reviewing your will and enduring power of attorney when your relationship status changes – in either direction – is an important part of effective estate planning.