DIY probate

dorian · Guru

DIY probate

rmoor · Guru

That is why they bury solicitors at 12 feet.

Just in case they might still be alive.

rmoor · Guru

dorian

No wonder the contributors have dropped off on this site.
When will they get the search function working again?

Can't be that much rocket science is it (you being a I.T. guru).

I did a search on "Swans" as in Sydney Swans then a few camping terms to test it and just heard crickets.......

dorian · Guru

rmoor wrote:
I did a search on "Swans" as in Sydney Swans then a few camping terms to test it and just heard crickets.......

I now use Google:

https://www.google.com/search?q=swans+site%3Athegreynomads.activeboard.com

https://www.google.com/search?q=%22sydney+swans%22+site%3Athegreynomads.activeboard.com

I believe that most of the visitors are now AI web crawlers. They scrape the forums for info.

I have created my own custom search engine for each of my browsers. The shortcut is "gn". I only need to type the following into the URL bar and my browser then resolves them to the abovementioned URLs:

gn swans

gn "sydney swans"

-- Edited by dorian on Tuesday 18th of August 2026 10:33:19 AM

DMaxer · Guru

Like a lot of the legal procedures today Dorian they have been streamlined. When I first had to undertake probate procedures there was the manual preparation of the inventory and affidavits, certifying the will, the advertising and search and enquiry and then in a lot of cases, I had to appear in person in the probate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. It was tedious exercise and not really profitable.

Today, it is all online, just a few forms, no appearance and much much quicker. I guess it is a lot like fixing your own car or being your own doctor. All good as long as nothing goes wrong. Take your messed up do it yourself forms along to a lawyer to fix it up and it will cost, much the same as your car repairs and self doctoring procedures.

Conveyancing is much the same these days too. No need to see clients, no manual searches, all done online. Glad it all worked out for you.

As for the comments of rmoor, all I can say is what a sad little man you are.

dorian · Guru

DMaxer wrote:
All good as long as nothing goes wrong. Take your messed up do it yourself forms along to a lawyer to fix it up and it will cost, much the same as your car repairs and self doctoring procedures.

If you make a mistake, or omit required information, a requisition is emailed to you.

The only hiccup was that the JP and I thought that we shouldn't stamp the original death certificate. We thought that the NSW Supreme Court would have inter-departmental access to the original document at the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Wrong. They preferred a stamped copy of the original, delivered via the Internet. Does that pass the pub test?

For other difficulties, I was expecting to avail myself of a free service whose URL I don't have at my fingertips. That's the site whose advice started my DIY adventure.

DMaxer · Guru

Glad it worked out well for you Dorian. The administrative side is pretty straightforward if you have a valid will and an executor who is competent as I am sure you are. The issues arise in those matters where the will is questionable or the assets are of a type where capital gains enter the equation. One is always aware of the Family Provisions claims too.

dorian · Guru

Applying for Probate -- Step by step guide :

https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/my-problem-is-about/someone-who-died/wills-and-estates/applying-for-probate/step-by-step-guide-applying-for-probate

Distributing the estate:

https://www.legalaid.nsw.gov.au/my-problem-is-about/someone-who-died/wills-and-estates/distributing-the-estate

Whenarewethere · Guru

My one should have been straight forward, but it wasn't. So glad I used a solicitor, I would have been completely out of my depth. $28k later, but fortunately money was not an issue. It was also the same solicitors my family have been using over many decades & they have been really good.

One other issue to think about. There was no way I could have done this from an emotional point of view.

Whether you use a solicitor or do it yourself make sure every last letter and full stop is correct before it is lodged. Get someone else to double check, line by line & literally letter by letter, ticking off every last digit. Which the solicitor got me to do, & best done on a printed copy & not on the screen. It is amazing how many more mistakes you find on a printed copy, ie one digit wrong on an account number! In effect you are signing off every single letter.

Still sorting out my other half's super. Luckily I don't need the money!

My sister in-law in Germany is one year ahead of me to the month, with her partner dieing in 2023. She is still tidying up the last ends of things for her situation. I was over there for 3 months around Christmas seeing all that side of the family. That was good for all of us. Will get over there again when the allowable 3 year period is up from the financial side of things.

dorian · Guru

Whenarewethere wrote:
... best done on a printed copy & not on the screen. It is amazing how many more mistakes you find on a printed copy, ie one digit wrong on an account number! In effect you are signing off every single letter.

I disagree. When you are entering financial details into the prescribed digital forms, have the bank accounts open on your screen via the Internet. Then simply copy-and-paste the details into the form. No risk of typos there.

Whenarewethere · Guru

I don't do any internet banking.

dorian · Guru

I'm trying to understand where $28K went, and why you were happy to pay it. Even if the deceased estate is spread over several jurisdictions, you still only need to apply for probate in the deceased's State of residence. You then submit the grant to each of the other jurisdictions and apply for it to be "resealed". I can't imagine what could go terribly wrong, unless the estate was very complicated. For example, I don't know how I would have handled a family trust.

Whenarewethere · Guru

A couple of problems. Property is Tenants in Common. 2 of 3 are in my name & 1 of 3 was in her name. Now that is finally in my name as well. Also they were questioning the enduring guardianship. There was a hearing to resolve these issues.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Every will can be challenged.
Cheers,
Peter