Court fees are only part of the cost. If a solicitor prepares the application for you, their legal costs are separate.
Getting the grant
In NSW, a solicitor’s costs for the core work of obtaining a first grant of probate or letters of administration are fixed by regulation. The amount depends on the disclosed value of the estate’s assets, and GST may be added.
The fixed costs cover work such as:
- taking instructions
- preparing and filing the Court documents
- answering any requisitions (requests from the Court for more information or corrections)
What the fixed costs don’t cover
- Court filing fees, the online notice fee, valuation fees and other out-of-pocket expenses
- sorting estate papers, working out what the estate includes, and obtaining valuations
- tax work, such as preparing tax returns
- work to transfer or sell the estate’s assets
- preparing and publishing a notice of intended distribution
- advice about a possible challenge to the will, or about an informal will
Work after the grant
Administering the estate after the grant is not covered by the fixed costs. That includes collecting the assets, dealing with property and distributing to the beneficiaries. The cost depends on what the estate involves and how much help you would like.
Before any work begins, we give you a written estimate of our costs and explain what is included.
If a Court fee is hard to pay
The Supreme Court has guidelines for waiving, remitting or postponing court fees in some circumstances. They are on the Supreme Court’s fees page.
For how the process works, see probate in NSW explained or how we apply for a grant of probate.
