Wills & estates
Wills, probate and estates — without the jargon
Whether you are writing a will, administering a parent's estate, or facing a claim against one, you should be able to understand every step. We explain it plainly and quote the fee before we start.
Wills
Simple and complex wills, including blended families, business interests, self-managed super and testamentary trusts. We ask the awkward questions now so your family does not have to argue about them later.
Probate and letters of administration
Applications to the Supreme Court of Queensland, whether or not there is a will, plus the notices and service requirements that go with them.
Estate administration
Collecting assets, dealing with banks, superannuation and insurers, paying debts and tax, and distributing to beneficiaries with proper accounts.
Executor advice
You are personally liable if you get it wrong. We guide executors through the sequence, including why you should not distribute within six months of death.
Estate disputes
Family provision applications and will validity challenges — for applicants and for executors defending an estate. Michael's litigation background matters here.
Superannuation death benefits
Binding death benefit nominations, and what happens to super when the nomination is invalid or lapsed. Super usually sits outside your will.
Fixed fees
- Simple will*Per person, including GST, and free safe custody of the original
- $495
- Enduring power of attorneyPer person, including GST, financial and personal/health matters
- $330
- Testamentary trust willFrom, including GST — complex estates quoted
- $2,200*
*Wills that involve complex estate planning issues — blended families, companies, trusts or a self-managed super fund — are quoted separately, in writing, before we start. See our fixed-fee probate page for estates.
When to review your will
- You marry — marriage generally revokes an earlier will
- You separate or divorce — divorce affects gifts to a former spouse
- A child or grandchild is born
- You buy or sell property, or move interstate
- An executor or beneficiary dies, or becomes unsuitable
- You start or wind up a business, trust or SMSF
Who you will work with on your will or estate
Michael Klein
Legal Practice Director
Admitted 2003. Based in Redcliffe, Moreton Bay.
Read Michael's profile
Wills and estate lawyers near you
Our office is at 40 Theresa Street, Golden Beach QLD 4551, and Erin Wilkinson lives at Golden Beach. We take will and enduring power of attorney instructions across the 4551 suburbs — at the office, at home, in hospital or in a retirement village unit.
- Wills Golden Beach
- Wills Caloundra
- Wills Pelican Waters
- Wills Baringa
- Wills Aura
- Wills Currimundi
- Wills Bribie Island
- Wills Redcliffe
- Wills Margate
- Wills North Lakes
- Wills Kallangur
- Probate Caloundra
- Probate Golden Beach
- Probate Bribie Island
- Probate Pelican Waters
- Probate Currimundi
- Probate Baringa
Common questions
How much does a will cost?
A simple will is a fixed $495 including GST, and an enduring power of attorney is a fixed $330 including GST. A testamentary trust will starts at $2,200 including GST. Wills involving a blended family, a business or a trust are quoted before we start.
Do I need probate?
Usually only where the estate holds real property in the deceased's sole name, or bank and share holdings above the institution's threshold. Assets held as joint tenants pass automatically to the survivor and often no grant is needed at all.
How long does probate take in Queensland?
A notice must be published and served on the Public Trustee before the application is filed. Where the paperwork is in order, a grant commonly issues within six to ten weeks of starting. Administering and distributing the estate takes longer.
Can someone contest my will?
In Queensland, a spouse, child or dependant can apply for further provision from an estate. Careful drafting, a contemporaneous file note of your reasons, and sometimes a structured gift can reduce the risk. We will tell you honestly where the exposure is.
What happens if I die without a will?
A statutory formula decides who receives your estate, and it takes no account of blended families, step-children or promises made. Someone must also apply for letters of administration before anything can be dealt with.
Want more detail first? Read our guides on whether you need probate and contesting a will in Queensland.
Applying for a grant? See our fixed-fee probate and estate administration page. Considering a testamentary trust will? We quote that up front too.
Already in a dispute about an estate? See our estate disputes page for family provision claims, will validity challenges and executor disputes.
Administering an estate after a death? The executor intake form captures what we need to tell you whether a grant is required and quote a fixed fee.
A will takes less time than you think
Call 0488 340 853 and we will book a time — including after hours or at home if that is easier.