Wills, powers of attorney and probate

Most estate planning problems arrive before death. After a stroke or a dementia diagnosis, nobody can sell the house to fund care or make a treatment decision. An enduring power of attorney and an appointment of enduring guardian cover that.

Call 1300 992 219 See the fees

What we do here

Making or updating a will
Enduring power of attorney and guardianship
Testamentary trusts and blended families
Probate and letters of administration
Family provision claims

What it costs

Estate work starts at $1,500. Probate filing fees are set by the Supreme Court on a scale by estate value, change from time to time, and are additional.

How long it takesA will is drafted within a week of the conference and signed at a second appointment. Probate is usually granted a few weeks after filing, but the application has a mandatory notice period before it can be filed.

WillSingle, including a conference on structure and the appointment of executors.

$1,500

Wills for a coupleMirror wills.

$2,400

Estate planning pack, singleWill, enduring power of attorney and appointment of enduring guardian.

$2,200

Estate planning pack, coupleAs above, for two.

$3,300

Testamentary trust willWhere there are blended families, a business, or beneficiaries who should not take outright.

From $4,400

Probate, uncontestedApplication, advertisement and grant.

$3,850

Indicative ranges for common matters, including GST, disbursements extra. Your fee is confirmed in writing before work begins. Full list for this area.

Questions people ask

Rarely. A will operates only after death. An enduring power of attorney and an appointment of enduring guardian operate while you are alive and continue after capacity is lost.

Twelve months from the date of death: s 58(2) of the Succession Act 2006 (NSW), unless the court otherwise orders on sufficient cause, or the parties consent.

Not unless it is paid to your estate. Superannuation is dealt with by a binding death benefit nomination to the fund.

Not always. Anything held as joint tenants passes to the survivor and never forms part of the estate: for land that is a notice of death, not a grant. Banks and share registries set their own thresholds and will often release a small holding without probate. But land the deceased held alone, or as a tenant in common, cannot be transferred without a grant.

Guides on this

Will, power of attorney and enduring guardianContesting a will in NSWWho can claim on an estate, and what the court weighs when they do.

No charge

What's happened?

Describe it in your own words.

Not sure where you stand?

The assistant works out the area of law and whether a time limit is running, then sends it to the solicitor the same day.

Free and low-cost options

Free and low-cost services that may be able to help.

See the list