Executor checklist: what to do in the first 30 days when someone has died in Australia

Being named executor is an honour and a job. The job has a sequence, and the sequence matters. The first 30 days are not about settling the estate — they are about protecting it.

This guide is written for executors of Australian estates of typical complexity (one or two homes, the usual financial accounts, a normal family configuration). Complex estates — businesses, overseas assets, trusts, contested wills, family provision claims, intestacy — should engage a solicitor on day one, and this checklist is then just a frame of reference.

Phase 1 — The first week

Register the death and obtain certified copies

The funeral director will usually handle the registration of the death with the relevant state's Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Within 2-6 weeks (varies by state) you will receive the official death certificate. You will need many copies — banks, super funds, the ATO, insurance companies, Centrelink, utilities, and Land Titles offices will all want one. Request at least 8-12 certified copies. Re-ordering them later is slow.

Find the will

Check, in this order:

• The deceased's vault, safe, or filing cabinet.
• Their solicitor's office (if they had one).
• The Public Trustee or NSW Trustee & Guardian (equivalent in each state).
• The state's Will Register where one exists (some, but not all, states maintain a register).
• Their family GP and accountant — solicitors sometimes notify these professionals when preparing the will.

The original will is the operative document — a photocopy is not. If only a photocopy can be found, you may still be able to apply for probate but the process is more complex and the court may require evidence that the original was not revoked.

Secure the deceased's property

• Change the locks on the main residence if appropriate.
• Make sure the home is insured (verify the policy is current and named correctly).
• Arrange care for any pets.
• Secure vehicles, keys, and anything valuable.
• Photograph the contents of the home, room by room, while everything is in situ. This prevents disputes later.

Cancel risky autopayments — carefully

Subscriptions and ongoing debits should be paused to prevent the estate accruing unnecessary debt. Do not simply close bank accounts in the first week — that disrupts the bank's ability to manage the estate properly. Contact the bank, notify them of the death, and ask them to freeze the account in the deceased's name. They will issue an estate banking pack with instructions.

Phase 2 — The second week

This is the notification phase. Each party will have its own process for accepting a death notification — most now accept email with an attached scan of the death certificate, but some still require originals.

Government bodies

• Australian Taxation Office. Notify so they can stop further correspondence and set up the deceased estate's tax file number. The deceased's final tax return must be lodged in due course.
• Services Australia (Centrelink, Medicare). Use the single death notification form. Centrelink will stop pension payments; Medicare will close the card.
• Department of Veterans' Affairs if applicable.
• Australia Post mail redirection — set up a redirection from the deceased's address to yours so estate correspondence does not pile up.

Financial institutions

• Each bank, building society, or credit union.
• Each superannuation fund (this is also when you ask about Binding Death Benefit Nominations and reversionary pensions).
• Each life insurance, income protection, TPD, and trauma insurer.
• The deceased's stockbroker, share registry, or platform provider.
• Any private health insurer.

Employers and ongoing relationships

• Current and recent employers (final pay, unused leave, employer super).
• Professional bodies if the deceased held memberships.
• Solicitor, accountant, financial adviser if they have one.
• Utilities — electricity, gas, water, internet, phone.
• Council rates and Land Titles offices for any property.

Phase 3 — Weeks three and four

The funeral

If the deceased left funeral wishes — through a prepaid funeral arrangement, a funeral bond, or written instructions — follow them. If not, you (or the next of kin in consultation with you) will decide. Funeral costs are payable from the estate and banks will generally release funds from the deceased's bank account on production of a funeral invoice, even before probate is granted.

Estate inventory

Build a complete picture of the estate:

• Real property — homes, investment property, land.
• Bank accounts, term deposits, offset accounts.
• Superannuation balances and any associated insurance benefits.
• Shareholdings, ETFs, managed funds, bonds, crypto holdings.
• Business interests, partnerships, intellectual property.
• Personal items of significant value — vehicles, art, collectibles.
• Liabilities — mortgages, personal loans, credit card balances, tax owing.
• Insurance payouts pending.

You will need this inventory to apply for probate and to prepare the estate accounts that beneficiaries are entitled to see.

Decide whether probate is needed

Probate is the Supreme Court's formal confirmation that the will is valid and that you have authority to act. Whether you need it depends on what's in the estate and whether the asset holders require it:

• Usually required: real property in the deceased's sole name; large bank balances; share portfolios above a threshold; super fund payouts to the estate.
• Often not required: joint assets passing by survivorship; small bank balances; super paid directly to a beneficiary outside the estate.

Probate applications take 2-8 weeks depending on the state and complexity. For a straightforward estate you can file yourself; most executors find the cost of a probate solicitor (typically $1,500-$3,000) money well spent.

What you absolutely must NOT do in the first 30 days

• Do not distribute assets to beneficiaries. Even if it feels obvious and family members are asking. If a creditor or claimant emerges later, you may have to find that money — and beneficiaries are not always cooperative about giving it back.
• Do not sell major estate assets without authority. You generally need probate to sell real property or transfer share holdings. Acting prematurely can void the transaction.
• Do not sign contracts as executor until you have a grant of probate or letters of administration. You do not yet have legal authority to bind the estate.
• Do not pay debts informally before validating them. Some "debts" are not legally enforceable against the estate; others rank behind funeral costs and tax. Pay through proper estate accounting.
• Do not promise a timeline to beneficiaries. Estates take six months to two years to finalise, even simple ones. Setting expectations early saves a lot of difficult conversations later.

If the will cannot be found

If, after a thorough search, no will surfaces, the estate is administered under intestacy law — see our guide to dying without a will in Australia. In that case the closest eligible relative typically applies for Letters of Administration instead of probate.

Getting help

You do not have to do this alone. Probate solicitors handle this work every day. Public trustees and trustee companies can be engaged as professional administrators if you would prefer not to act, or if you are appointed jointly with a co-executor and want to share the load. There is no shame in seeking help — your duty is to administer the estate properly, not to do every piece of work yourself.