All guides
Every guide on the site, in plain English. Start with the checker if you're not sure probate is needed at all.
Do I need probate?
The asset checklist and bank thresholds that decide it — plus a 60-second checker.
CostsCost of probate in Australia
Court filing fees by estate value in every state, and what solicitors charge.
TimingHow long does probate take?
Current court processing times, and the requisition delays that catch people out.
No willLetters of administration
When there's no will: who can apply, and in what order of priority.
ExecutorsExecutor duties & checklist
What you're responsible for — and personally liable for — as executor.
First stepsWhat to do when someone dies
The first 30 days: death certificate, banks, Centrelink, ATO, securing the house.
BasicsWhat is probate?
What a grant actually is, why banks demand it, and what it is not.
ApplyingHow to apply for probate
The full process step by step: notices, documents, filing and the grant.
BasicsProbate vs letters of administration
Two different grants, one job — which one your situation calls for.
BanksDeceased estate bank accounts
Every major bank's release threshold, forms and bereavement phone line.
PropertyTransferring property after death
Joint tenants vs tenants in common, transmission applications, and CGT timing.
SuperSuperannuation death benefits
Super sits outside the will — nominations, dependants and the adult-child tax trap.
No willDying without a will
Who inherits under intestacy in each state, and the blended-family splits.
DisputesContesting a will
Family provision claims: who's eligible and the strict 3–12 month time limits.
Small estatesSmall estates: skipping probate
The informal route — indemnity releases, statutory declarations, and when waiting wins.
Situations & problems
Renouncing as executor
Named but can't or won't act? How to hand the role on — before it's too late.
DisputesExecutor disputes
Deadlocked co-executors and beneficiaries losing faith: the escalation ladder.
ExecutorsExecutor commission
Can executors be paid? Typical percentages, and the two approval routes.
WillsLost or missing wills
Where to search, and how probate of a copy works.
WillsInformal & DIY wills
Unsigned wills, will-kit errors and even text messages — what courts accept.
DisputesProbate caveats
The emergency brake that freezes a grant — and its costs risks.
InterstateResealing probate
Assets in a second state, or NZ/UK grants — how reseals work.
Cross-borderOverseas executors & assets
Executor abroad, assets abroad: the cross-border machinery.
ApplyingProbate requisitions
The registry queried your application — the common causes and the fix.
MoneyEstate bank accounts
The executor's basic hygiene tool, and how to open one.
PropertySelling before probate
What you can do before the grant — and the clause that protects the deal.
MoneyFuneral costs: who pays?
First charge on the estate — and how frozen accounts still pay the invoice.
GovernmentCentrelink after a death
The 14-day rule, bereavement support, and the clawback handled calmly.
TaxThe ATO and tax after death
No inheritance tax — but a final return, estate returns and the CGT 2-year rule.
Aged careAged care RAD refunds
The 14-day refund rule, the interest owed, and the government guarantee.
InsuranceLife insurance claims
Nominated beneficiaries vs the estate, and the six-month decision rule.
VehiclesTransferring a car
No probate needed for ordinary cars — the registry process by state.
DebtsInsolvent estates
When debts exceed assets: the payment order and the executor's shield.
DistributionMissing beneficiaries
The search, the insurance, and Benjamin orders — distributing safely anyway.
DigitalDigital assets
Email, photos, crypto and domains: the executor's playbook.
Bank by bank
All institutions →Each institution's deceased estate threshold, forms and bereavement contact: CommBank · Westpac · ANZ · NAB · Macquarie · Bendigo · BOQ · St.George · Suncorp · ING · HSBC · People First · Computershare · MUFG
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