If you die without a Will, it costs more for your family to apply for Administration than it does to

If you die without a Will, your family can’t do anything with your assets (bank accounts, car, motorbike, house) until they apply to the Supreme Court for Letters of Administration (without a Will). The cost just for filing the application is currently $659.70. The costs are revised annually, as are all Qld Government costs (and they only ever go up – they never get cheaper!)

Your family also has to advertise either in a Qld wide paper or a paper approved for the area of where you lived. They have to prepare documents or get a solicitor to prepare documents. It doesn’t matter how much you own – it could be very little and your family still have to incur these costs and go through processes.

The Supreme Court website (http://www.courts.qld.gov.au/services/wills-and-probate/applying-for-a-grant) states:

“Your costs may include:

• advertising fees

• court filing fees

• postage

• the fee for the original death certificate issued by the Registrar General

• payment for document preparation

• the solicitor’s fees (if you have engaged one).

Advertising fees vary, so you should contact the relevant newspaper about its charges.”

So if you think about costs (and we all have to because we all have commitments and budgets), it is much wiser and much more economical to have your Will prepared and not die intestate. This is why I say “The greatest gift you can leave your family is to attend to your Will”. Contact me on 1300 411 341, email wills@mywillqld.com.au or go online to www.mywillqld.com.au and submit an enquiry.