bereavement & estate planning needs
Simple. Accessible. For your unique family.
Estate Planning & Deceased Estates Lawyer.
We want to do law differently.
Our prices are on our (virtual) front door. We celebrate happy clients rather than hours billed. We use technology for better outcomes and better client experiences to fit in with your busy life.
Travelling to a law firm and meeting with a solicitor who doesn’t always feel approachable (or have basic social skills) is no longer a necessary evil. We have heard so many vampire lawyer jokes over the years, we’re sure not about to win the Warm and Fuzzy Profession of the Year. But accessing quality legal services doesn’t have to be a daunting or a frustrating exercise – or a time drain on your already very busy schedule.
That’s where we come in.
Your Deceased Estates Lawyer.
If you have lost a loved one with assets in NSW, we can help you with looking after the affairs of the deceased estate, applying for Probate or Letters of Administration and transferring, liquidating, distributing and administering the estate.
Your Estate Planning Lawyer.
If you are looking to (finally) get your estate planning in order to plan for the best interests of you and your family, we can give you advice to achieve your goals and needs and prepare all Will, Power of Attorney and Enduring Guardianship documents, to name a few.
Online estate planning law firm.
You can access the legal advice and services you need online, by phone, zoom and/or email, from the comfort of your own home or office.
NSW Mid North Coast Wills Estates & Probate.
For our NSW Mid North Coast clients – if you live in Coffs Harbour, Urunga, Raleigh, Bellingen, Repton, Mylestom, Fernmount, Valla, Nambucca Heads or surrounds – we can travel to your home or office to meet with you.
We’ll look after you.
Pleased to meet you.
Your Wills & Estates Lawyer.
Pleased to meet you.
Admission to Supreme Court of NSW
Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (College of Law)
Bachelor of Laws (UNE)
Bachelor of Economics (UNE)
Recipient of NSW Bar Association Ethics Prize
Admission to High Court of Australia
Australian Financial Services License accreditation
NSW Law Society Committee member - Elder Law, Capacity & Succession
Del Copeland, Solicitor.
Hi, I’m Del Copeland (formerly Del Raets). I became a solicitor in 2008 and quickly fell in love with Wills and Estates. I have looked after estate planning clients and the executors & administrators of deceased estates for the significant majority of my lawyer life. Estate planning, Deceased Estates, Succession Planning – they are my passion and chosen vocation. I was a committee member of the 2022 NSW Law Society Elder Law, Capacity & Succession Committee.
“When you like your work, every day is a holiday.” – Frank Tyger.
I am good at what I do because I love what I do.
Hi, I’m Delphine Copeland (call me Del). I became a solicitor in 2008 and quickly fell in love with Wills and Estates. I have looked after estate planning clients and the executors & administrators of deceased estates for the significant majority of my lawyer life. Estate planning, Deceased Estates, Succession Planning – they are my passion and chosen vocation. “When you like your work, every day is a holiday.” – Frank Tyger.
I was a committee member of the 2022 NSW Law Society Elder Law, Capacity & Succession Committee. I am good at what I do because I love what I do.
I founded Copeland Estates Legal to look after the growing need of busy families looking for simple, effective and accessible legal solutions to sort their legal affairs (in life and after death) which can be done from the comfort of their own home or office without trawling through an onslaught of conflicting opinions and information on the web or needing to spend countless hours trying to self-educate in succession law.
I am passionate about helping people plan and structure their affairs through their Wills, Power of Attorney and Enduring Guardianships to make sure finances and lifestyle decisions can be settled without additional unnecessary trauma. Planning can be the greatest gift to your family – what can be very simple measures can make sure you and your family are protected if the unfortunate or unexpected happens.
When a family member passes away it can feel like a rug has been pulled out from under you. Life as you know it changes and grief can be a huge burden to deal with. I can help ease part of the weight by giving comfort in knowledge and guidance of what needs to be done and the how, why, where, when and who. It can be a scary time, especially if you have never had to deal with loss. The satisfaction I get from helping families get through to the other side is why I do what I do.
I have been a foster carer for the RSPCA, a university law tutor, a mentor in the Office for Women Lucy Mentoring program and a Coffs Harbour Chamber of Commerce committee member.
But despite all the many roles I have adopted, the most important one is within my own family. Because at the end of the day, peeling away all our other titles and roles, family is everything.
I am a wife and mother of 2 (very cheeky) kids and have the privilege of living in on the beautiful coastline of the Mid North Coast, NSW. I understand what it is to want to plan for the best possible outcome and protect against the worst for the future of your family. Family life comes with many different competing obligations and priorities for which there never seems to be enough time and the juggling act emerges. I am well aware (and enthusiastically agree!) that life can be a rollercoaster of ticking off the urgent items from your eternal to-do list. But some items that keep getting pushed down the list (getting Wills done?) should be ticked off now, not later, because it is better to plan than to be blindsided.
Life (and death) is what you make it, so plan accordingly.
Share kindness
Pay it forward
Helping the community, share kindness. Because we can help leave the world a better place for our loved ones. It’s the small things.
We provide free bereavement legal advice to the Bellingen Shire communities of Dorrigo, Bellingen and Urunga through the Bellingen Shire neighbourhood centre. If you have recently lost someone, not sure where to turn and would like a chat with a lawyer to help guide the way please make use of this free service to our local community.
Bookings are essential and can be made by calling the Bellingen neighbourhood centre on (02) 6655 1239.
For every Will we prepare that includes a gift to a registered charity, Copeland Estates Legal will make a donation of $20 to the Starlight Children's Foundation to help bring a little happiness into the life of a sick child.
You know it feel good, so why not pay it forward and give a little extra help where you can? Give a gift to charity.
We are a volunteer service provider for the NSW Cancer Council's Pro Bono Program.
Cancer affects not only those diagnosed but also their families and loved ones. The journey can be overwhelming, both emotionally and financially.
Through this wonderful program, we aim to give back to our community by assisting individuals undergoing cancer treatment who might not otherwise have the means to sort out their estate planning. The Cancer Council does an extraordinary job of receiving referrals and ensuring that one of our community's most vulnerable members receive the support they need.
Everyone deserves peace of mind, especially during such challenging times. It's our privilege to pay it forward and support those who need it most.
If you or someone you know could benefit from these services, please reach out to the NSW Cancer Council on 13 11 20 about accessing this wonderful service.
Did we mention we’re also an online and mobile firm? We’re striving to leave a smaller carbon footprint by reducing unnecessary travel and saving trees with our predominantly paperless office. Every little bit helps.