Guides
Guides to administering an estate in Australia
Plain-English guides to what happens after a death, in the order things usually happen. Each one links to the official sources.
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The first days
Who certifies the death, what the funeral director handles, where to look for the will, and what can wait.
Read the guide
Certified copies
Who can certify documents in your state, how many copies to get, and how to avoid doing it twice.
Read the guide
Who to notify
Government, banks, super funds, insurers, utilities and subscriptions, and the free service that notifies several at once.
Read the guide
Finding the money
Lost super, share registries, unclaimed money and managed funds, including when the records are out of date.
Read the guide
When there is an SMSF
The 28-day and six-month deadlines, what the surviving trustee must do, and how the fund is wound up.
Read the guide
Probate, state by state
When you need probate, how long it takes, and what the court in your state asks for.
Read the guide
Super nomination check
A 30-second check of whether a superannuation death benefit nomination is still valid.
Check a nomination
Want it as a checklist?
Build your plan and get these steps sequenced for your state and situation.