Probate and estate administration
Probate is the registry confirming that the will is the last one and the executor is the right person. Administration is everything after: collecting assets, paying debts, keeping the records that prove it was done properly, and distributing what is left.
Fixed fee
from $2,750
Timeline
Six to twelve weeks to the grant
What you keep
Distribution statements
Where we sign
We deal with the registry
Fixed fee
Filed and followed through the registry
Six to twelve weeks to the grant
Probate is the Supreme Court registry confirming two things: that the will in front of it is the last one, and that the person applying is entitled to administer the estate. Most estates holding real property or a substantial bank balance need it.
What actually happens
Notice of intention is advertised, and fourteen days later the application is filed with the will, the death certificate and an inventory of assets and liabilities. A clean application is usually granted in four to eight weeks.
What the executor is actually signing
An inventory of assets and liabilities sworn as accurate, and an undertaking to administer the estate properly. That is a real obligation, which is why we prepare the inventory with you rather than sending you a form.
After the grant
Assets are collected, debts and tax are paid, and the estate is distributed with records that prove the executor did it properly. We can do all of it, or only the parts you would rather not.
If there is no will
Someone applies for letters of administration instead, and the estate is distributed on a statutory formula. The work is the same; the order of priority for who may apply is set by law, and we will tell you at the first call whether you are the right person to apply.
The costs that are not our fee
The registry filing fee is set on a scale by the size of the estate, the advertisement is fixed, and title searches and certified copies are charged as incurred. All of it is itemised separately from the fixed fee.
Who this is for
Executors named in a will
Families where there is no will at all
Anyone holding property in a deceased estate
Executors who have been asked to justify a decision
What the fee includes
Advertisement of intention and the probate application
Inventory of assets and liabilities, prepared with you
Correspondence with banks, funds and the registry
Distribution statements the beneficiaries can read
Questions
What people ask before they ring.
If yours is not here, it is a two-minute phone call and we will not put you on a list.
Do we always need probate?
Not always. If the estate is small and holds no land, banks will often release funds on an indemnity instead. We check before filing anything, because the cheapest probate is the one you did not need.
How long does the whole thing take?
Four to eight weeks to the grant for a clean application, then three to nine months to collect, pay and distribute. An estate with property or a dispute takes longer, and we will tell you which one you have.
What if the family disagrees?
We act for the executor, not for the loudest beneficiary, and we put every distribution in writing. Where a claim looks likely we say so early — the cost of ignoring it is much higher than the cost of naming it.
