LOSING A LOVED ONE IS HARD. PROBATE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE.
Our Estate Administration Services
When someone close to you dies, dealing with paperwork is often the last thing you want to do. We take care of obtaining Grants of Probate or Letters of Administration from the Supreme Court, with a streamlined service designed to keep costs down. The application process is stringent & can be confusing. Our experience means your application is prepared correctly the first time, avoiding delays & cost.
Grant of Probate
The executor named in the Will applies. The Grant confirms the Will is valid and lets the executor collect, manage and distribute the estate.
Ltrs of Administration
A family member or other eligible person applies to be appointed administrator. The estate is then distributed under the Intestacy Act 2010 (Tas).
Reseal
The executor named in the Will applies. The Grant confirms the Will is valid and lets the executor collect, manage and distribute the estate.
Do you need a Grant?
You may not. It depends on the size and type of assets and how they were owned. Small estates with no real property often don’t need a Grant.
Clear, competitive pricing
Our professional fees for most applications are between $1,500 & $2,500 (incl. GST, plus disbursements), comparable with online fixed-fee bare services but instead with a professional local lawyer experienced with Tasmanian Courts and who you can speak to directly.
Local and accessible
Offices in Hobart and Kingston, with appointments in person, by phone or by video.
Senior oversight, sensible cost
Every application is supervised by our experienced solicitors, with routine tasks completed by skilled paralegals so you are not paying senior rates for simple work.
We deal with the Court for you
We prepare the affidavits and inventory of assets, lodge the application and respond to any requisitions from the Probate Registry.
No out-of-pocket professional fees
Where the estate has sufficient funds, we can come to an agreement for our professional fees to be paid once assets are released, rather than by you personally.
One firm from start to finish
If you need help administering the estate after the Grant, we can continue with the same team and provide a separate estimate before any further work begins.
Thinking of doing it yourself?
No issue. If you just want an appointment to discuss next steps, or have the reassurance of a lawyer checking paperwork you prepared, we can assist as much or as little as needed.
FAQs
Where the deceased person had a valid Will, the executor of the estate may have to apply for Probate. A ‘Grant of Probate’ is a document issued by the Supreme Court of Tasmania confirming that the Will of a deceased person is a valid document and permits the executors to legally manage and distribute the estate (otherwise known as the liabilities and assets).
If the deceased person had only a small estate then you may not need to apply for Probate but this will depend on the type of assets they owned and the value of those assets.
If the person owned real property (i.e. land) that will need to be transferred then it is likely that you will need to apply for Probate.
What if I can’t find the Will?
If you know that your loved one signed a Will but you haven’t been able to locate a copy of it, we may be able to assist. Many original Wills are held safely by the lawyers that drafted them.
If a loved one has died with assets but without a Will, then an application for letters of administration can be lodged by whomever wishes to manage the deceased person estate. The Supreme Court of Tasmania will then decide who to appoint as administrator of the estate.
If you cannot locate a Will then the deceased person’s assets will be distributed according to the Intestacy Act 2010 (Tas) which sets out an order of who will benefit from an estate in those circumstances.
There are a few considerations in these circumstances and that’s why we offer an initial obligation-free consultation so that you can get an idea about what will be involved. Call us for an initial discussion about your circumstances.
If you have already applied for a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration in another state or territory but there are also assets in Tasmania, you may have to apply for a “reseal” of that grant. This is often necessary where the deceased person had assets in more than one state or territory.
We can assist you with this process regardless of whether you are located in Tasmania or elsewhere. Call us for an initial discussion about how we can help you.
Estate Administration is a general term that refers to all work involved in organising a deceased person’s assets and liabilities after they have passed away.
After obtaining a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, an executor has to then organise for the transfer or sale of assets and then distribution of funds to beneficiaries. Where the person owned a property, this can include managing that property by paying invoices, maintaining the gardens, renovating for sale, engaging an agent, and eventually, transferring or selling the property.
We can assist with this process right up until distribution and wrapping up of the estate.
Yes! We have processes for completing identity checks and signing documents for executors who are interstate or even overseas. We can still walk you through the process and ensure that all of your paperwork is filed in Tasmania.
As the executor, you can choose any lawyer that you want to assist you with the estate.
If you are an executor but don’t want to instruct the lawyer who is currently holding the Will, we can organise for the original to be transferred to our office so that we can apply for Probate on your behalf.
If you have questions around a Will, your rights as a beneficiary or executor, or just want someone to help guide you through the process of obtaining probate, we can help as much or as little as you need.
Call us for an obligation-free discussion about how we can best assist you.
If you know that your loved one signed a Will but you haven’t been able to locate a copy of it, we may be able to assist. Many original Wills are held safely by the lawyers that drafted them.
If we can’t locate a Will then we can assist you with an application for Letters of Administration to the Supreme Court of Tasmania if you wish to be appointed as administrator and manage the estate. We can also advise you on how any assets will be distributed if there is no valid Will.
We make it easy to get the legal guidance you need. Whether you require advice on property transactions, estate planning, family matters, or business law, our team is ready to assist you. Schedule a consultation at a time that suits you by clicking the link below to book an appointment.
