Named as an executor? We’ll tell you if probate is needed and what it will cost, then handle it for you.
4.9Google ratingLeave your details and one of our estates team will call you back. A short, free conversation is usually enough to tell you where you stand.
Have the will and a rough list of assets handy if you can.
Enter the estate’s approximate value to see our fee, GST and the Court filing fee.
Include property, bank accounts, shares and other assets in the deceased’s name. Don’t include jointly held assets or super paid directly to a beneficiary.
An estimate only, based on the scale and Court fees from 1 July 2026. Disbursements and any additional work listed below are extra. Costs are usually paid from the estate.
Book a free call to confirm it| Value of estate | Professional fee (ex GST) |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | $560 plus $13.33 per $1,000 |
| $30,000 to $150,000 | $960 plus $5.90 per $1,000 over $30,000 |
| $150,000 to $1 million | $1,670 plus $4.47 per $1,000 over $150,000 |
| $1 million to $3 million | $5,470 plus $1.66 per $1,000 over $1 million |
| $3 million to $5 million | $8,800 plus $1.10 per $1,000 over $3 million |
| $5 million to $10 million | $11,000 plus $0.90 per $1,000 over $5 million |
| Over $10 million | $15,500 |
| Gross value of the estate | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Less than $100,000 | Nil |
| $100,000 to under $250,000 | $960 |
| $250,000 to under $500,000 | $1,303 |
| $500,000 to under $1 million | $1,999 |
| $1 million to under $2 million | $2,663 |
| $2 million to under $5 million | $4,439 |
| $5 million or more | $7,399 |
| Service | Fee (+ GST) |
|---|---|
| Transmission application (real estate) | $330 |
| Calling in assets, per bank account | $250 |
| Insurance policies, per policy | $250 |
| Deed of acknowledgement | $275 |
| Distributing the estate, per beneficiary | $350 |
| Additional assets application | $450 |
| Work outside this scope | Hourly rates |
Not sure? Ask us before you lodge anything. The first call is free, and we’ll tell you honestly if you don’t need us.
Book a free initial callWe review the will and the asset list and tell you where you stand.
The online notice is filed with the application for probate in the Supreme Court.
If the registry raises a requisition, we deal with it.
Collecting assets, paying debts and tax, distributing to beneficiaries and preparing estate accounts.
Grants usually take four to six weeks. Administering the estate typically takes a further three to six months.
You deal with the same team from the first call to the final distribution. Not a call centre.
Our fee follows the published scale and is confirmed in writing before we start.
If a claim is made against the estate, you’re not referred to a stranger.
It is a document issued by the Supreme Court of New South Wales confirming that the will is valid and that the executor named in it has authority to deal with the estate. Until it is granted, banks, share registries and Land Registry Services will usually refuse to release or transfer anything.
There are two parts: the Supreme Court filing fee, which is based on the value of the estate, and the professional fee for preparing and lodging the application. Our professional fee follows the scale on this page, so you can estimate it with the calculator above. These costs are usually paid from the estate.
No, you can apply yourself. Most executors use a lawyer because the Court rejects applications for small errors, and because the executor is personally liable for mistakes in the administration that follows.
Usually four to six weeks for the Court to issue a straightforward grant. Administering the estate afterwards generally takes three to six months.
Being an executor is a legal role, not an honorary one. You must identify and protect the assets, pay valid debts and tax before distributing anything, keep proper accounts, and distribute strictly in accordance with the will. Executors who distribute too early, or who miss a creditor, can be held personally liable for the shortfall. Take advice before you pay anything out.
The person died intestate. Instead of probate, the Court issues letters of administration, which give a close family member the same authority an executor would have had. Who can apply, and who inherits, is set by a fixed order under the Succession Act. The process is similar but the evidence requirements are heavier. We handle both.
The Court can accept a copy, or a reconstructed will, with supporting evidence. If no will existed at all, a family member applies for letters of administration instead.
No. Jointly held assets pass to the survivor automatically, and superannuation or life insurance paid to a nominated beneficiary does not form part of the estate.
Probate can still be granted, but a family provision claim can be brought within twelve months of death. Executors should not distribute the estate until that period has passed or the claim is resolved.
Probate applies where there is a valid will and a named executor. Letters of administration apply where there is no will, or where the named executor cannot act.
A free initial call will tell you whether probate is needed and what it will cost. Call our Double Bay office on (02) 9328 2944 or leave your details.
Darian Iacono
John Denes
Kendell Fairley
Philippa Johnston
