Wills & Estates · Northern Rivers
17 probate & estate administration firms in Northern Rivers, New South Wales, including Lismore, Ballina, Byron Bay, Tweed Heads.
17 firms
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
Save U Legal provides legal services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Family Law and Criminal Law.
Probate is the court's confirmation that a will is valid and that the executor may deal with the estate. Where there's no will, a family member applies for letters of administration. Lawyers prepare the application, deal with banks and the land titles office, and advise executors on their duties.
Executors are personally responsible for administering the estate correctly. Mistakes with debts, tax or distributions can leave them personally liable.
Probate is granted by the Supreme Court of each state. Executors must usually advertise their intention to apply, deal with the ATO on final tax returns and wait out claim periods before distributing.
Understand the next step
Explain your role and whether an executor has been appointed or an application already made. Administration involves collecting information, addressing liabilities and recording decisions, not simply distributing belongings.
Confirm the scope of executor assistance, application work, asset transfers and accounting before comparing fees.
For matters involving Tweed Heads and Queensland, ask about cross-border experience. A nearby office is not enough to establish whether a lawyer can advise on property, proceedings or a business on the other side of the border.
For probate & estate administration, ask which parts of the work the firm handles itself and whether it has relevant NSW experience. Let the lawyer know if a property, employer, other party or existing proceeding is outside Northern Rivers. Your home address alone does not determine the applicable process.
List family members, property, debts, companies, trusts and superannuation. Identify where original documents are held and which assets are jointly owned.
Ask what each document or application would achieve. Confirm which state rules and asset-ownership arrangements need to be considered.
Agree on signing, storage and future reviews, or on the executor’s responsibilities for records and distributions. Identify changes that should prompt further advice.
Compare a simple-will quote with more involved planning or estate administration. Ask about searches, applications, valuations and coordination with an accountant.
Ask for a written scope identifying the work you are authorising, the person responsible and when costs will be reviewed. If you only want advice on one step, say so before the firm begins wider work.
Provide the date of death and any estate correspondence promptly. Ask about relevant deadlines before distributing assets, signing a release or assuming a dispute can wait.
In New South Wales, most criminal and minor civil matters start in the Local Court, with more serious matters in the District Court and Supreme Court. Tenancy, strata, consumer and guardianship disputes usually go to NCAT. Solicitors are licensed by the Law Society of New South Wales, and complaints about lawyers go to the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner.
Good to know
Not always. It depends on the assets and the institutions involved. Many banks require probate above certain amounts, and land usually requires it.
Obtaining probate often takes a few months. Finishing the administration takes longer, especially if there are claims or property to sell.
Most matters start in the Local Court. More serious cases go to the District Court or the Supreme Court of NSW. Family law matters are heard by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.
Ballina, NSW · Northern Rivers
McVittie Legal provides legal services in Ballina, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Property & Conveyancing and Divorce & Separation.
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
van Kempen & Associates provides conveyancing services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Commercial Property & Leasing.
Lennox Head, NSW · Northern Rivers
Salt & Stone Lawyers provides legal services in Lennox Head, NSW. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Wills & Estates and Property & Conveyancing.
NSW · Northern Rivers
Budd & Piper Solicitors & Conveyancers provides legal services in NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Business & Commercial Law and Wills & Estates.
Lismore, NSW · Northern Rivers
David Hunter Solicitor provides legal services in Lismore, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Family Law.
Grafton, NSW · Northern Rivers
Beneke Legal Pty Ltd provides legal services in Grafton, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Property & Conveyancing.
Lismore, NSW · Northern Rivers
S+ P Lawyers provides legal services in Lismore, NSW. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Property & Conveyancing.
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
MPB Lawyers provides legal services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Family Law.
Ballina, NSW · Northern Rivers
van Kempen & Associates provides legal services in Ballina, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Commercial Property & Leasing.
Byron Bay, NSW · Northern Rivers
Spains Solicitors provides legal services in Byron Bay, NSW. Listed practice areas include Probate & Estate Administration, Family Law and Wills & Estates.
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
Sharon Northam provides legal services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Business & Commercial Law and Franchising.
Byron Bay, NSW · Northern Rivers
Vickers Lawyers provides legal services in Byron Bay, NSW. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Property & Conveyancing and Wills & Estates.
Byron Bay, NSW · Northern Rivers
JH Mobile Lawyer provides legal services in Byron Bay, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Family Law.
Federal, NSW · Northern Rivers
Capital Lawyers provides legal services in Federal, NSW. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Property & Conveyancing and Family Law.
Murwillumbah, NSW · Northern Rivers
Lawsearch Australia Pty Ltd provides legal services in Murwillumbah, NSW. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Property & Conveyancing and Probate & Estate Administration.
Tweed Heads, NSW · Northern Rivers
ROC Legal provides legal services in Tweed Heads, NSW. Listed practice areas include Personal Injury, Contested Wills & Family Provision and Probate & Estate Administration.
Directory guidance updated 19 September 2026. General information to help you prepare for a conversation with a professional; not advice about your individual matter. Check current requirements with the relevant authority.
Practising certificates in New South Wales are managed by the Law Society of New South Wales. You can check a solicitor's status on its public register or by contacting it directly.