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What to do when someone dies in Australia
There are around forty things to do after a death, and they have an order. This builds your list: sequenced, specific to your state and situation, with what each step needs and a link to the official source.
How the plan is organised
Five phases. Only the first one is urgent.
1
The first days
Now
Only a few things genuinely need to happen straight away. The rest can wait until after the funeral.
2
The first two weeks
Weeks 1–2
Get the death certificate and certified copies, then start telling the institutions that have deadlines.
3
The first month
Weeks 2–6
Build the picture of the estate, decide whether you need probate, and stay inside the deadlines that matter.
4
Months two to six
Months 2–6
Probate, collecting assets, paying debts, and the waiting periods that protect you as executor.
5
Finalising the estate
Months 6–18
Tax, distribution, and closing the file. Most Australian estates take between six and eighteen months.
Go deeper
The parts people get stuck on
The first days
Who certifies the death, what the funeral director handles, and where to look for the will.
Certified copies
Who can certify in your state, how many to get, and how to stop doing it three times.
Who to notify
Government, banks, super, insurers and utilities, plus the free service that tells many at once.
Finding the money
Lost super, share registries, unclaimed money, and out-of-date records.
When there is an SMSF
The 28-day and six-month deadlines, the nomination, and winding the fund up.
Probate, state by state
Whether you need it, which court, what it costs, and how long it takes.
General information only, sourced and checked in September 2026. Rules differ by state and change over time, so the link on each step goes to the official source. If a step says to get advice, please do.