Professional probate/letters service for $1,432.00 (inc GST)
Additionally, the third-party outlays for probate/letters (the same for all) currently total $897.30 and comprise:
- Supreme Court of Qld filing fee of $735.60; and
- Qld Law Reporter advertising fee of $161.70.
Therefore the total cost to the estate is $2,329.30 (inc GST) including payment of the court fee and advertising outlays.
This service is suitable for nearly all common form grants of probate/letters of administration in Queensland because an experienced probate practitioner will –
- scrutinise any Will and the death certificate
- confer directly with the applicant(s) by telephone conference and e-mail
- advise on and handle most common probate issues that impede grants of probate/letters of administration.
- advise on incidental/related/current estate issues including renunciations and practical/informal administration
- check deceased’s name against Queensland unclaimed money register and Qld Land Title Registry
- prepare the public notice of intention to apply for probate/letters (including the notice to clear-off creditors)
- arrange and pay for due publication and service of the notice with the Queensland Law Reporter and Public Trustee
- prepare and execute an affidavit of publication of service
- prepare an affidavit for signing by the applicant(s) including endorsement of extra exhibits if needed
- send affidavit and exhibits to applicant(s) for signing (with a return pre-paid registered envelope)
- Check and file all materials with the court and pay the court filing fee
- Solicitor trust accounting for outlays
- Answer probate requisitions including preparation of basic supplementary affidavit material
- Report on the outcome of the application
- Send certified copies of the grant of probate/lettters of administration directly to waiting banks
How is it possible to offer a professional probate service at this price?
- use of advanced document assembly and data management systems
- an experienced practitioner familiar with problematic applications
- innovative legal design and technology applied
- use of some logically driven on-line questionnaires
- an expectation the applicant(s) will read and complete a short quality checklist
- not suited to highly complex applications
- payment in full up-front avoids debt collection costs