How long does probate take?
Updated 20 August 2026 · 7 minute read
For a clean application, most Australian registries currently grant probate in two to eight weeks — Victoria in days. The real timeline is longer, because two other clocks run first: the death certificate (2–4 weeks) and the mandatory notice period in most states (14 days). Here's the current picture.
Current times by state
| State | Filing to grant | Notice period first |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | 2–4 wks | 14 days |
| VIC | ~5 days | 14 days |
| QLD | 4–8 wks | 14 days |
| WA | 3–6 wks | None |
| SA | 1–6 wks | None |
| TAS | 3–18 wks | 14 days |
| ACT | 4–8 wks | 14 days |
| NT | 4–8 wks | 14 days |
Click through to each state for the full picture — Tasmania in particular swings between three and eighteen weeks depending on registry workload.
The realistic end-to-end timeline
Weeks 0–4: death certificate
BDM issues the certificate after the funeral director lodges the registration. Nothing can be filed without it.
Weeks 2–6: gather and value assets
Banks, share registries and valuers all reply on their own schedules. This is usually the slowest stage families control.
+14 days: notice period
NSW, VIC, QLD, TAS, ACT and NT require a published notice and a 14-day wait. WA and SA skip straight to filing.
Weeks 4–10: filing to grant
The registry examines the application. Victoria is currently granting in about five days; most others take two to eight weeks.
After the grant: releasing assets
Banks typically release funds 1–3 weeks after receiving the grant; property transfers take longer. Executors often wait out the family-provision window before final distribution.
A requisition — the registry querying an error or gap in your application — typically adds 4–8 weeks. The most common causes are inventory mistakes and informally-executed wills. Careful paperwork the first time is the biggest speed lever you have.
Can it be sped up?
- Order multiple certified copies of the death certificate upfront — every institution wants one
- Start the notice period as soon as the certificate arrives, while you finish valuations
- Use bank date-of-death balance letters, not screenshots, in the inventory
- Urgent need (a property settlement, a business payroll)? Registries can expedite genuinely urgent applications — ask, with evidence
Want it handled without the learning curve?
Fixed-fee firms lodge clean applications all day and know each registry's quirks. Quotes in one business day.
Get fixed-fee probate quotesHow long until beneficiaries actually get paid?
Commonly 6–12 months from death for full distribution. Executors often hold funds until the family-provision claim window closes — see the time limits.
Does a caveat stop the clock?
Yes — a caveat lodged against the grant freezes it until resolved. That moves the matter from paperwork to dispute; get advice.
Is there a deadline to apply?
Most registries expect filing within 6 months of death (3 years in VIC) — late applications need an explanatory affidavit but are routinely accepted.
Sources
- Registry processing updates and law-firm time surveys, mid-2026 (Papas Law, Probate Consultants, ezyWill)
- State Supreme Court probate registries