Estate Administration with a skilled estate lawyer

Some deceased estates won't require a Grant of Representation, because the assets are jointly held with other people, or the values of the assets don't require the Grant. 

In these circumstances, you will still need to administer the estate either in accordance with the terms of the Will or the laws of intestacy. 

What does it mean to administer the estate? Well, it includes removing the deceased's name from the assets and transferring them to beneficiaries, selling and/or donating items, vacating premises, paying debts, and ensuring that all government requirements are ticked off. 

Some examples of estate administration we typically see include:

1. Closing bank accounts held by the deceased;
2. Paying outstanding utilities, credit card debt, loans and mortgages; 
3. Cancelling insurance policies, cancelling utilities and services including phone, internet and registration;
4. Removal from Electoral Roll; 
5. Notification of death to the ATO and Medicare; 
6. Cancelling leases, vacating rental premises, cleaning out houses, and selling or transferring motor vehicles. 

If you have not needed a Grant of Representation and don't have an estate lawyer, but need a hand with the estate administration, or have questions about your responsibilities, please feel free to contact us to discuss your situation. If there is anything we can help you with, we will let you know. 

There are a few budget law firms and estate lawyers around that will only help you with obtaining the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration, and they leave you high and dry once that step is done. 

If you have obtained the Grant of Representation, and you need help and guidance with the estate administration, please feel free to reach out to Spirit Legal. 

We have extensive experience in estate administration, from the straight-forward to the complex estates that run for years. 

We can complete the following for you, at a fixed fee and with confidence: 

1. Sale, transfer or transmission of shares (including CHESS and issuer sponsored shares); 
2. Transmission and Transfer of real estate in Victoria and Queensland;
3. Complex transfers of real estate in Victoria (that are outside of the terms of the Will or the laws of intestacy); 
4. Collection of funds from bank accounts, superannuation, stocks and investments (we use our trust account for the estate); 
5. Distributions to beneficiaries; 
6. Liaising with creditors and payment of debts from the estate; and
7. Publishing notice to creditors for the estate.

If you would like a free quote for our services, please contact us now for a preliminary consultation and advice.