South Australia
Estate administration support for executors and families in South Australia.
When someone dies, the paperwork doesn't pause for grief. We take on the gathering, chasing and organising — every certificate, statement, title and policy — and hand your solicitor a complete probate-ready pack, so you're not on hold to a bank while you're still catching your breath.
Registered nurse, 20 years in aged care leadership
One advisor, start to finish
Fixed scope, agreed in writing
What estate administration support actually is
Being named executor rarely comes with an explanation of what happens next. Administering a deceased estate means locating the will, obtaining the death certificate, identifying every asset and liability, notifying banks, superannuation funds, insurers, Centrelink and the ATO, then assembling the evidence a solicitor needs to apply to the Probate Registry of the Supreme Court of South Australia for a grant of probate.
Most of that work isn't legal work. It's administration — dozens of phone calls, forms, certified copies and follow-ups, spread over months, during the period you are least equipped to manage it. That's the part we take on.
We are not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice and we do not complete legal documents. We prepare the file; your solicitor lodges it. In practice that usually means fewer billable hours spent chasing a missing bank statement, and a family that isn't carrying the administrative load alone.
Included
What we take off your hands
01
Document location and retrieval
The will, the death certificate, birth and marriage certificates, property titles, rates notices, insurance policies and superannuation records — located, requested and certified where required.
02
Asset and liability schedule
A complete, itemised picture of the estate: accounts, shares, vehicles, real property, superannuation and life insurance on one side; mortgages, loans, credit cards, unpaid accounts and the funeral account on the other.
03
Notifications and account closures
Banks, superannuation funds, insurers, utilities, telcos, subscriptions, Centrelink, Medicare, the ATO, aged care providers and My Health Record — notified, documented and followed up.
04
The probate-ready pack
Everything above, checked against a full probate checklist and delivered to your solicitor as one organised file — so the application isn't held up by a document nobody knew was missing.
05
Practical arrangements on the ground
Particularly for interstate families: attending to the property, coordinating contents and clearances, mail redirection, and being the local point of contact so you aren't booking another flight.
06
One person who knows your file
The same advisor from the first conversation to the last piece of paperwork. Not a call centre, not a case number, not a different name each time you ring.
Who this is for
- —Executors who have never done this before. You were named in a will and now hold a responsibility with legal weight and no instruction manual.
- —Families living interstate or overseas. The estate is in South Australia and you are not, and every task seems to need someone physically present.
- —Adult children who are also grieving. You are capable of doing this. You should not have to do it in the first weeks after losing a parent.
- —Executors of estates with scattered records. No filing system, accounts nobody knew about, paperwork across three decades and two houses.
- —Solicitors and accountants who would rather receive a complete file than build one.
How it works
Four steps, at your pace
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01
A conversation, no obligation
We talk through what's happened, what you're holding, and what the estate looks like. Nothing is charged for this and nothing is decided in it.
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02
Scope and fixed fee, in writing
We set out exactly what we'll do and what it will cost before any work starts. You approve it before we begin.
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03
We gather and organise
The calls, the forms, the certified copies, the follow-ups. You hear from us with updates, not with tasks.
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04
Handover to your solicitor
A complete probate-ready pack, checked and indexed. If you don't yet have a solicitor, we can point you toward one.
What estate administration support costs
Estate administration support
From $4,400
Tiered by estate complexity — the number of assets, whether a valid will exists, and whether the estate is disputed.
A clear scope is agreed before any work begins, always in writing. You will know the fee before you commit to anything, and it will not move because the work turned out to be harder than we expected.
Our fee is separate from the estate's legal costs and from the court filing fees payable to the Probate Registry. Your solicitor will quote those separately.
Questions
Estate administration, answered plainly
What is estate administration support?
Practical, hands-on help with the work of settling a deceased estate: locating the will, obtaining the death certificate, identifying and listing assets and liabilities, notifying banks, superannuation funds, insurers and government agencies, and assembling the paperwork a solicitor needs to apply for a grant of probate. It is administrative and organisational support rather than legal advice — we prepare the file, your solicitor lodges it.
Do you replace the estate's solicitor?
No. We do not provide legal advice and we do not complete legal documents. We work alongside your solicitor and hand over a complete, checked probate-ready pack, which usually means less billable time spent chasing missing certificates, statements and valuations.
Where is estate administration support available?
Across South Australia, including Adelaide and the surrounding regions. Our advance care planning and Family Estate Readiness services are available nationally by telehealth.
How much does estate administration support cost?
Fees start from $4,400 and are tiered by the complexity of the estate — the number of assets, whether a valid will exists, and whether the estate is disputed. A clear scope and fixed fee are agreed in writing before any work begins, so there are no surprises during an already difficult time.
Can you help if I live interstate?
Yes. Interstate executors are a large part of who we help. Having someone in South Australia to attend to documents, agencies and practical arrangements on the ground often saves repeated flights, time away from work and a great deal of worry.
How long does it take to administer a deceased estate?
It varies with the size and complexity of the estate. Gathering documents and preparing a probate-ready pack is usually a matter of weeks; the full administration, including the grant of probate and distribution to beneficiaries, commonly runs to several months or longer where property must be sold or the estate is contested.
What if there is no will?
Where someone dies without a valid will, an eligible person applies to the Probate Registry of the Supreme Court of South Australia for letters of administration instead of a grant of probate. The document-gathering work is broadly similar but usually broader, because entitlement has to be established from family records. We can support that process and will tell you plainly when the estate needs legal advice first. There's more detail on our deceased estate guide.
What documents will I need to administer an estate?
Typically the original will, the death certificate, proof of the executor's identity, statements for every bank account, share holding and superannuation interest, property titles and rates notices, insurance policies, loan and credit card balances, recent tax returns, and funeral account details. We work from a full checklist so nothing is discovered missing at the point of lodgement.
General information only, current at the time of writing. It is not legal, financial or taxation advice and does not take your circumstances into account. Please seek advice from a qualified practitioner for your situation.
Related services
Deceased estate administration
A step-by-step guide to what happens to a deceased estate in South Australia, and in what order.
Read the guide →
Advance care planning
Guided advance care directive conferencing, delivered nationally by telehealth.
Learn more →
Estate Readiness Workbook
Prepare before it's needed — document locator, financial inventory and executor readiness, self-guided.
See the workbooks →
You don't have to work out the order of this. Start with a conversation.
Tell us where things stand. We'll tell you what comes next — and whether we're the right help for it.
Get in touchOr email janerooke@careandlegacy.com.au