Probate is the legal process that all wills must go through to be proved as the true last testament of the deceased person. Before an estate can be administered, the will must pass through probate and be found by the Supreme Court to be valid. The court will then issue a grant of probate to the Executor of the will.

Up to this point, the Executor is not authorised to deal with the estate. This can be a frustrating time for all involved. As a beneficiary, you simply want what has been set aside for you in the will. Sadly, nothing you can do will rush the process. You need to be patient and let the process take its course.

To apply for probate, the Executor must confirm the death of the deceased and identify all of their assets, as confirmed by an affidavit. The affidavit is then taken to the Supreme Court together with the original will. If the Supreme Court is satisfied with the affidavit and the will, the Court will issue a grant of probate.

This process can take anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple of months. Generally, the lawyer working for the Executor can give you a fairly accurate timeframe. It’s important that you don’t get in front of yourself and make commitments before the monies come due. This can largely be determined by the accuracy of the Executor’s affidavit and whether or not there are any issues in the will itself. This is also the time when someone can choose to contest a Will.

“I would like to thank you for all your kindness and help after the passing of my husband. Everything was explained to me and it made things much easier. It is a hard time to get through and your help made it much easier for me. I would recommend you to anyone needing assistance” Elaine M (December 2017)

“Thank you to all your staff for being so helpful, patient and understanding of my needs during this time of my stress with the loss of my wife, and after” Terry B (October 2017)

“I don’t see how you could improve your service. I have used your expertise over many years related to wills, property conveyancing, perpetual agreements and now, probate. I have never been left wanting. My sincere thanks for your actions on my and my families behalf” Brian O (August 2017)