Wills & Estates
Probate lawyers help executors obtain probate and administer the estate.
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.
Probate & Estate Administration firms in the directory
970 firms
Bendigo, VIC · Bendigo & Loddon
State Trustees provides legal services in Bendigo, VIC. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Probate & Estate Administration and Property & Conveyancing.
Surfers Paradise, QLD · Gold Coast
TPIL Lawyers provides legal services in Surfers Paradise, QLD. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Probate & Estate Administration.
Dubbo, NSW · Central West & Orana
Warwick McCarthy & Co Solicitors provides legal services in Dubbo, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Family Law.
Kalgoorlie, WA · Goldfields-Esperance
Brookman Legal provides legal services in Kalgoorlie, WA. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Planning & Environment and Wills & Estates.
Kalgoorlie, WA · Goldfields-Esperance
Brookman Legal provides legal services in Kalgoorlie, WA. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Planning & Environment and Wills & Estates.
Melbourne, VIC · Melbourne CBD
Cash and Stavroulakis Lawyers provides legal services in Melbourne, VIC. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Family Law and Parenting & Child Custody.
Narrabundah, ACT · Canberra
Collaery Lawyers provides legal services in Narrabundah, ACT. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Coronial Inquests and Medical Negligence.
Wyong, NSW · Central Coast
East Coast Conveyancing provides legal services in Wyong, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Family Law and Business & Commercial Law.
Erina, NSW · Central Coast
Edge Legal Group provides legal services in Erina, NSW. Listed practice areas include Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Wills & Estates and Property & Conveyancing.
Moorabbin, VIC · South East Melbourne
Gigliotti Lawyers Moorabbin provides legal services in Moorabbin, VIC. Listed practice areas include Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Insolvency & Restructuring and Wills & Estates.
East Perth, WA · Perth CBD
Havilah Legal provides legal services in East Perth, WA. Listed practice areas include Business & Commercial Law, Employment Law and Wills & Estates.
Parramatta, NSW · Western Sydney
Mersal & Associates Solicitors provides legal services in Parramatta, NSW. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Business & Commercial Law and Litigation & Dispute Resolution.
Baulkham Hills, NSW · Hills District
The Property Conveyancers provides legal services in Baulkham Hills, NSW. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Property & Conveyancing and Criminal Law.
Neutral Bay, NSW · Sydney North Shore & Northern Beaches
Toltz Lawyers provides legal services in Neutral Bay, NSW. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Property & Conveyancing and Probate & Estate Administration.
Queanbeyan, NSW · Southern Highlands & Tablelands
Vozella Lawyers provides legal services in Queanbeyan, NSW. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Family Law and Criminal Law.
Werribee, VIC · Western Melbourne
Coolabah Law Chambers provides legal services in Werribee, VIC. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Family Law and Powers of Attorney & Guardianship.
Glen Waverley, VIC · Eastern Melbourne
Cumberbatch and Williams Lawyers provides legal services in Glen Waverley, VIC. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Probate & Estate Administration and Estate Planning & Testamentary Trusts.
Lismore, NSW · Northern Rivers
David Hunter Solicitor provides legal services in Lismore, NSW. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Family Law.
Benalla, VIC · Hume & North East
David Joseph & Co provides legal services in Benalla, VIC. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Property & Conveyancing and Family Law.
Echuca, VIC · Bendigo & Loddon
DW Law provides legal services in Echuca, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Business & Commercial Law.
Devonport, TAS · North West & West Coast
Foxfield Lawyers provides legal services in Devonport, TAS. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Business & Commercial Law and Planning & Environment.
Wangaratta, VIC · Hume & North East
Genuit Legal provides legal services in Wangaratta, VIC. Listed practice areas include Property & Conveyancing, Wills & Estates and Family Law.
Dubbo, NSW · Central West & Orana
Jess Bourke Legal provides legal services in Dubbo, NSW. Listed practice areas include Family Law, Wills & Estates and Probate & Estate Administration.
Berri, SA · Riverland & Murraylands
O'Briens Solicitors provides legal services in Berri, SA. Listed practice areas include Wills & Estates, Business & Commercial Law and Probate & Estate Administration.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Many firms offer simple wills for a fixed fee. Wills involving trusts, blended families, business interests or overseas assets cost more because they need more planning.
Close family members, and some others who depended on the person who died, can apply for a greater share if they were not adequately provided for. Strict time limits apply, often within months of the death, and they differ between states.
