You should cancel any regular debit authorities or subscriptions the deceased has, and pay any final medical bills. If relevant, advise Centrelink of the death so they can cancel the pension payments.
You should contact those financial institutions where the deceased had accounts, to find out their requirements to close the accounts and release monies to the estate [we can do that for you].
Power Of Attorney
Your authority under the Power of Attorney will have lapsed, and any powers to act for the deceased now arise by virtue of being the Executor(s) named in the will.
Probate
Probate is a process where a Court Registrar formally examines the original Will to confirm it appears to have been validly made and signed, and looks at the cause of death to see if the Will may be tainted by any unsoundness of mind.
The Registrar issues an “approved” copy of the Will with the Court seal on it, this then acts as a valid Authority to any person holding property of the deceased to release that property to the Court recognised Executor.
It may be that the banks or other institutions require a Grant of Probate to be obtained before releasing monies to you. They will usually ask for this if there is more than $15,000 in an account. Contact our expert Estate Lawyers to arrange the Grant of Probate if it is required.
A Death Certificate must accompany the Application for Grant of Probate. The Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages can take up to four weeks to issue the Certificate.
The Court will keep the originals of the Will and Death Certificate after they are lodged with the Probate Application.
Payment of Funeral Expenses
If you have to pay the deceased’s funeral expenses, or any other estate expenses, you are entitled to be reimbursed from the Estate for those costs.
Contact our expert Estate Lawyers to arrange any refund of expenses, or the Grant of Probate (if it is required). We can also assist you with the administering of an Estate.
