The new documentation includes packages to note the early release of superannuation benefits from an SMSF as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the request and confirmation of rental relief where the landlord of the property is an SMSF.

Topdocs Director Michael Spakman said of the release: “We’ve been hard at work putting together documentation to enable advisers to assist their clients to make use of the government’s early access to super and rental relief provisions.  We are pleased to provide our new COVID-19 Rental Relief and Early Access documentation packages free of charge to advisers. We’re all in this together, and this is one way Topdocs is looking to assist advisers and their clients during this pandemic.”

“In line with all documents we provide, our COVID-19 documentation is fully tailored for each transaction, not just a kit, so advisers will receive fully prepared documents for each Fund they require it for.  Both packages are also integrated with BGL Simple Fund 360, Class and SuperMate for ease of ordering.”

Spakman noted that the documentation can be used with any trust deed, not just the Topdocs trust deed, as long as the deed has the requisite early access to superannuation provisions.

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The three-part CPD accredited series is free for advisers and provides practical steps in the facilitation of estate planning services, as well as technical training on the key aspects of Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and non-estate assets.

Topdocs director Michael Spakman said of the new initiative “Estate Planning provides advisers with a perfect opportunity to ensure their client’s entire wealth plan is considered, enables them to consolidate their client base and also open up access to intergenerational clients. Importantly, in the current revenue environment, it provides a valuable source of income for advisory firms”.

“Our training series, presented in conjunction with The Legal Hub and McInnes Wilson Lawyers, is designed to provide advisers with the tools and confidence to facilitate estate planning services for their clients, whilst working with our legal panel who provide the advice and documentation and therefore assume the legal risk. This, in turn, delivers a great outcome for advisers and their clients.”

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has, according to director Michael Spakman, ‘closed the loop’ for BGL users when setting up new SMSFs via a newly released integration with Simple Fund 360.

The new integration, available via Topdocs’s online platform, enables users to order the documentation to set up a new SMSF from Topdocs, and then to have the new Fund automatically created in their Simple Fund 360 account.

The new feature is the last piece of the puzzle, according to Mr Spakman, that provides users with the ability to perform all required tasks to set up the SMSF via a single application form.

‘The process of setting up a new SMSF can be time consuming, when you take all of the steps into consideration. First, you have to set up the corporate trustee, then establish the Fund, register an ABN and TFN, and then set everything up in your accounting and corporate secretarial software. Not to mention also having to document the investment strategy and open a bank account.

This process overall could take up to an hour and a half from start to finish.

Via our new integration with BGL, however, and in conjunction with our existing integration stack including links with CAS 360, Xero XPM and Macquarie, all of these steps can now be completed via a single online application form, cutting down the processing time by up to 80%.’

BGL managing director Ron Lesh said of the integration “It’s great to see our long term business partner Topdocs complete the loop. Topdocs have created sensational integration with both CAS 360 and Simple Fund 360 being able to extract data from our database, populate documents and load the data back into both our products. This is a great professional solution for our clients”.

Topdocs will be demonstrating its range of integrations at the SMSFA conference to be held on the Gold Coast in February 2020.

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has announced a new partnership with The Legal Hub as well as the release of their newly updated online estate planning platform, Topdocs Protect.

Through Topdocs Protect financial planners and accountants nationwide can request online and full service estate planning documentation and services including Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney.

Topdocs director Michael Spakman says Topdocs Protect provides financial planners and accountants with the opportunity to facilitate estate planning services for their clients, without assuming the risk associated with the provision of the legal documentation and advice.

“Topdocs Protect provides upfront and ongoing training for advisers to enable them to facilitate the provision of estate planning services, whilst also providing a central online platform where advisers can submit client information to have Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and other succession documentation created online, or full service by a panel of lawyers.”

A key element of the Topdocs Protect platform is Topdocs’ online Will, created by associated legal practice Topdocs Legal, which according to Spakman, “will enable advisors to provide clients with general needs with access to a comprehensively provisioned Will at a cost effective price, therefore encouraging more clients to get their estate planning in order.”

For more complex matters, the new partnership with The Legal Hub will provide advisers Australia wide with a cost effective and timely way to engage with a panel of law firms to have a full estate plan prepared for their clients.

Brant Dillon, director of The Legal Hub said of the new partnership: “We are pleased to partner with Topdocs to provide advisers with an easily adoptable estate planning solution for their clients which not only enables the adviser to generate a revenue stream, but most importantly, ensures their clients have proper estate plans in place”

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has announced they have extended their range of integration tools to include new integration with BGL’s cloud company compliance software, CAS 360.

The new integration, available via Topdocs’ online platform, enables users to register a new company with Topdocs, and have the company instantly set up in CAS 360 with a single online application form.

Through Topdocs’ direct link with the Australian Business Register, users can also have the ABN | TFN online application for the company fully populated, free of charge, as part of their order.

The new option can be utilised when users are creating stand-alone companies, as well as ordering a new corporate trustee as part of a SMSF, discretionary trust or unit trust establishment.

Topdocs director, Michael Spakman, says the integration is designed to further extend the efficiencies CAS 360 provides users:

“CAS 360 is leading the way in corporate compliance efficiency, and Topdocs’ new integration with BGL ensures CAS 360 users enjoy the same levels of efficiency when creating new company structures.”

BGL managing director, Ron Lesh, said of the integration:

“It’s great to have Topdocs on board. The new CAS 360 API has been designed to make it easy for document providers to directly integrate new companies. This is a win-win for BGL, Topdocs and our mutual clients.“

Topdocs will demonstrate the new integration at the SMSF Association national conference, being held in Sydney from 14-16 February 2018.

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has teamed up with SuperMate to release a new integration which enables users to generate their SMSF documentation using the fund data stored in their SuperMate account.

Available via the Topdocs online platform, SuperMate users can now populate their online application forms for new SMSFs, deed updates, changes of trustees, pensions and LRBAs with their existing Fund data.

In some circumstances, the new functionality will completely automate the document ordering process.

Topdocs Director Michael Spakman says “This new integration greatly reduces ordering time for SuperMate users, in some cases completing removing any requirement to key client information – a great advantage given how busy we know accountants are, particularly those specialising in SMSFs”.

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has announced the release of Topdocs Protect, a new online platform that enables financial planners and accountants nationwide to request online and full service estate planning documentation and services including Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney.

Topdocs director Michael Spakman says Topdocs Protect provides financial planners and accountants with the opportunity to facilitate estate planning services for their clients, without assuming the risk associated with the provision of the legal documentation and advice.

“Topdocs Protect provides upfront and ongoing training for advisers to enable them to facilitate the provision of estate planning services, whilst also providing a central online platform where advisers can submit client information to have Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney and other succession documentation created online, or full service by a solicitor.”

A key element of the Topdocs Protect platform is Topdocs’ new online Will, which according to Spakman, “will enable advisors to provide clients with more basic needs with access to a comprehensively provisioned Will at a cost effective price, therefore encouraging more clients to get their estate planning in order.”

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Michael Spakman

Leading legal document provider Topdocs has announced the release of its new SMSF deed update software, which links directly with BGL, Class Super and SuperMate.

Following the introduction of the Superannuation Reform legislation, many accountants are speaking to their clients about updating their deeds, and according to Topdocs’ Director, Michael Spakman, Topdocs’ online Portal will greatly streamline the ordering process.

“Our links with BGL Simple Fund, Simple Fund 360, Class Super and SuperMate mean that accountants can use the information already stored in their accounting software to order their deed updates, without having to complete a single order form.”

With many accountants needing to update dozens or even hundreds of deeds, this creates an enormous time saving for them.

In addition to streamlining the ordering process, Topdocs, through their legal practice, Topdocs Legal, also provides individual legal review and sign off on each deed update they prepare, ensuring any discrepancy in the fund details stored in the accounting software, and the deed for the Fund, will be picked up and verified.

Spakman says that the legal review and sign off is a crucial aspect of the deed update process:

“Our safety net of legal review and sign off ensures that the legal risk associated with the updating of the deed stays with our legal practice, and not the advisor placing the order.”

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Michael Spakman

Following on from their automation of the ABN and TFN application process for SMSFs, Topdocs has now extended their time saving feature to Companies and Trusts, an industry first.

With over 200,000 companies registered in Australia each year, as well as huge volumes of Unit and Discretionary Trusts, Topdocs director, Michael Spakman, says this automation will save the accounting, legal and financial planning professions thousands of hours each year: “Every time a new SMSF, Company or Trust is required to register with the ATO, someone has to manually enter this information online, which can be a time consuming process, taking up to 30 minutes depending on the person. Multiply this by the number of legal structures set up per year, and you have an enormous amount of wasted time currently existing in the industry.”

“By automating the population of the ABN and TFN online application, and proving this service free of charge to advisors, we are giving advisors back this time, enabling them to focus more on client facing work. The feedback so far has been amazing”.

Spakman says the new integration is one of a number that have been created to simplify the ordering process for advisors: “Topdocs has created a number of time saving integrations to make the process of ordering legal documents quick and easy for advisors, including links with BGL, Class Super, Macquarie, CommBank, NAB and XPLAN.”

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Michael Spakman

SuperConcepts has announced a partnership with legal document provider, Topdocs to provide SMSF advisers with a more efficient way to order and complete relevant legal documents on behalf of their clients.

Available in the second half of 2016 through SuperConcepts’ superMate platform, the service will help advisers populate SMSF documentation with fund information contained in their superMate account, reducing the time it takes to order and produce legal documents.

SuperConcepts Chief Technology Officer, Kurt Groeneveld commented on the continued investment in its technology platforms.

“Our partnership with Topdocs is part of our ongoing commitment to provide a leading technology solution to SMSF advisers, allowing them to run a more efficient business.

“We will continue to invest in our technology platforms to support accountants, financial advisers and administrators so they can ultimately spend more time focusing on their customers and the growth of their business,” he said.

The service is in the final stages of design and integration with the superMate platform. The service will also allow superMate users to update SMSF trust deeds in groups rather than completing individual order forms, adding further efficiency.

Topdocs Director, Michael Spakman said the new integration will be the first of a number of technology initiatives planned with SuperConcepts to add new document services.

“We are working with SuperConcepts to utilise their cloud-based technology to provide their clients with a range of streamlined document ordering solutions.

“A key focus at Topdocs is to provide innovative solutions to SMSF advisers to enable them to quickly and easily access quality documentation. Our partnership with SuperConcepts is one example of our vision to develop continuous process improvement for the SMSF industry,” Mr Spakman said.

Owned by SuperConcepts, superMate is a cloud-based, double entry accounting system for SMSF advisers, which provides access to more than 175 data feeds. The platform continues to be one of the market-leading solutions with access available from $9.75 per fund per month.

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