Being an executor

When a person dies and leaves an estate that is less than $20,000 in value, whether there is a will or not, you may be able to take control of the estate yourself without asking the Supreme Court for a grant of representation. 

This can save time and money.

You can also take control of a small estate with a grant of representation.

Read more about grants of representation and taking control of an estate.

Example of a wife administering a small estate of her husband

The husband has a will and leaves his wife all of his estate. 

The estate consists of:

• a bank account
• some personal effects
• a car.

The wife will need to do all of the following:

• arrange the funeral and burial or cremation - any funds in the husband’s bank account can be used to pay for his funeral
• apply for a death certificate, although this is usually done by the funeral company
• tell government authorities such as Medicare, the Australian Tax Office and Centrelink
• tell pension companies
• pay any debts
• arrange for the car to be transferred into her name
• talk to the bank about closing his account
• re-arrange insurance policies
• tell the landlord or housing department about change in tenancy agreement if their property is rented
• transfer any jointly owned property into her name by filling out a transfer form with the Land Titles Office.