Probate Queensland — online, state-wide
Probate in Queensland: what it is, when you need it, and a fixed fee to handle it
Probate is the Supreme Court of Queensland confirming that a will is valid and the executor can deal with the estate. Executors anywhere in Queensland can start an estate with us online. Fixed professional fee, solicitor-led, everything handled by email and video — the only thing that has to travel is the original will.
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Michael Klein
Legal Practice Director · Redcliffe, Moreton Bay
$3,300
Fixed fee for a grant of probate or letters of administration, incl GST
6–10 weeks
Typical time from starting to the grant issuing, where papers are clean
0 office visits
Video ID, electronic filing, the original will by post
Probate and deceased estate administration: what is the difference?
Probate is a court grant recognising the will and the executor's authority. Deceased estate administration is the broader work of identifying and protecting assets, dealing with liabilities and distributing the estate. A grant may be one step in that process, but receiving it does not mean the estate is ready to distribute.
Does every estate need probate?
No. The answer depends on the assets, how they are owned and the requirements of the organisations holding them. Check with the relevant bank or institution before assuming a grant is necessary. If there is no will, or the named executor cannot act, a different type of grant may be appropriate.
What happens after probate is granted in Queensland?
- Confirm what each asset holder needs to release or transfer estate assets.
- Collect assets and arrange any property sale or transfer required for the estate.
- Address debts, tax obligations and any unresolved claims before distributing.
- Keep estate accounts and distribute according to the will or applicable intestacy rules.
Tell us whether you need help obtaining the grant, finishing an estate after a grant, or managing the whole administration. Read our executor duties guide or request an estate administration quote.
Sources: Queensland Courts guidance on grants and Queensland Public Trustee guidance on administering an estate. General information only; advice depends on the estate's circumstances.
What it costs
A grant of probate confirms the executor's authority; administering the estate is the later work of collecting assets, paying debts and distributing to beneficiaries. The grant-only fee is not a quote for that whole process. Read our probate cost guide or tell us about the estate for a scoped quote.
- Grant of probate, or letters of administrationFixed professional fee, including GST
- $3,300
- Full estate administration, including the grant of probateAll-inclusive fixed fee including GST — the grant itself, plus up to 3 bank accounts, the retirement village exit or one property transfer, and distribution to up to 6 beneficiaries. More complex estates quoted.
- $8,800
- DisbursementsSupreme Court filing fee and the published notice — set by others, charged at cost
- At cost
No percentage of the estate, no hourly billing on the grant, and the estate normally pays.
How the online process runs
1. Executor intake, online
You complete the intake form with the will, the assets and the date of death. We come back the same or next business day with whether a grant is actually needed and the fee in writing.
2. Identity and the original will
Identity is verified by video. The original signed will comes to us — from you, or released from another firm's safe custody after we write for it.
3. Notice published, Public Trustee served
We publish the notice of intention to apply and serve the Public Trustee of Queensland. The application cannot be filed until at least 14 days later.
4. Application filed electronically
The application, affidavit and supporting material are filed in the Supreme Court of Queensland. We deal with any registry requisitions ourselves.
5. Grant issues, estate administered
Typically six to ten weeks in. From there we can also collect the assets, transfer or sell property, deal with super, insurers and the ATO, prepare estate accounts and distribute — scoped separately.
Can't find the original will?
Most originals sit in a law firm's safe custody, a bank, or with the Public Trustee — often a firm that has since merged or closed. Tell us the name and we will chase it.
How to find a will held in safe custody in QueenslandWho will handle it
Michael Klein
Legal Practice Director
Admitted 2003. Based in Redcliffe, Moreton Bay.
Read Michael's profile
Common questions
When is probate required in Queensland?
Usually when the deceased owned real estate in their sole name, or held bank accounts, shares or investments above the institution's limit for releasing funds without a grant. Property owned as joint tenants passes to the survivor, and superannuation and life insurance often sit outside the estate, so not every estate needs probate.
What is a probate notice?
Before applying, the executor must publish a notice of intention to apply for a grant and serve a copy on the Public Trustee, then wait at least 14 days. We publish and serve the notice as part of our fixed fee.
Can probate be done entirely online in Queensland?
Almost all of it. The application, the executor's affidavit and the notices are prepared and exchanged electronically, and identity can be verified by video. The one physical step is the original signed will, which the Supreme Court requires — it is posted or handed to us, and we hold it in safe custody until the grant issues.
How much does probate cost in Queensland?
Our fixed professional fee for a straightforward grant on its own is $3,300 including GST, plus the Supreme Court filing fee and the cost of the published notice, which are set by others and charged at cost. Full estate administration — including obtaining the grant — is one all-inclusive fixed fee of $8,800 including GST, covering up to 3 bank accounts, the retirement village exit or one property transfer, and distribution to up to 6 beneficiaries — more complex estates quoted.
How long does probate take?
The notice of intention to apply must be published and served on the Public Trustee, and the application cannot be filed for at least 14 days after that. Where the paperwork is clean, a grant commonly issues six to ten weeks from the day we start.
Do I need a lawyer near me to do probate?
No. Probate is a Supreme Court of Queensland matter, not a local one, so where the executor lives makes no difference. We act for executors from Cairns to Coolangatta and everything is handled by phone, email and video.
What if the original will is held by another law firm?
We write to the firm, bank or the Public Trustee holding it in safe custody and request its release to us as the executor's solicitors. That is included in the fixed fee — you do not have to negotiate with them yourself.
What if there is no will?
The application becomes one for letters of administration, and who may apply is set by the intestacy rules. The process, the notices and our fixed fee are the same; there is simply more work evidencing the entitled next of kin.
Do you charge a percentage of the estate?
No. A larger estate does not make the application harder, so it should not make the fee bigger. Trustee companies and some firms charge a percentage; we do not.
Read our guides on how long probate takes, how to apply for probate, what an executor actually has to do and whether you need a grant at all. Prefer a local page? See probate on the Sunshine Coast. Outside the Sunshine Coast? We act for executors state-wide — remote probate anywhere in Queensland. If another firm holds the original will, we can write for its release.
Executor in Brisbane or elsewhere in Queensland? See our probate solicitor page for Brisbane and QLD executors.
Start the estate online today
Complete the executor intake and we will tell you whether a grant is needed and what it costs, in writing. Or call 0488 340 853.