Gathered Here
11/12/2018
If your loved one or close relative has passed away in Victoria without leaving a will, you may find yourself needing to get up to speed on Letters of Administration – what they are, what they do, and how to get them.
Letters of Administration is a document provided by the Supreme Court of Victoria which is often required to collect and distribute the assets or property of a person who did not leave a will outlining what they would like done with their estate.
This guide will take you through the things you need to know about getting a grant of Letters of Administration in Vic, including:
As discussed in our guide to What are Letters of Administration?, a grant of Letters of Administration is the means by which the court grants authority to the administrator to deal with the estate of a person who has passed away without a will (or without a valid will). Dealing with the estate can include collecting and distributing assets, and settling the deceased’s debts.
For more information about the administrator, see below.
Under Victorian legislation (specifically, the Administration and Probate Act 1958 (Vic)), there is an ‘order’ of relatives of the deceased who are entitled to inherit the deceased’s estate. It is necessary to identify who is the deceased’s closest next of kin.
This order can be summarised as follows:
The purpose of this ‘order’ is to consider each category one by one, starting with the first, in order to determine if the deceased had any relatives that fit the description. Once the deceased’s next of kin have been identified in accordance with the above process, Victorian legislation also sets out what percentage of the estate these next of kin are entitled to; that is, how the estate is to be shared.
It’s important to note that the explanation above is merely a summary of the intestacy and succession processes in Victoria, and should not be taken as legal advice. Remember that this area of the law is complicated and multi-layered and you should seek professional legal advice to understand your rights in relation to an intestate estate.
Under the laws of Victoria’s Letters of Administration, it is generally only the person/s who are entitled to receive all or a part of the deceased’s estate who are entitled to apply for a grant of Letters of Administration. Two or more eligible people can apply jointly for a grant of Letters of Administration.
In Victoria, you should file an application for Letters of Administration within three months of the deceased’s death.
The process for applying for Letters of Administration in Victoria can be complex, and is usually less straight-forward than applying for probate Vic.
In order to get Letters of Administration, a person entitled to be appointed administrator should follow these steps:
At the time of writing, the Victorian Supreme Court filing fee for Letters of Administration was as follows:
Value of Estate Assets (in Victoria) | Victoria Letters of Administration Filing Fee |
Less than $500,000 | $60.70 |
$500,000 – $999,999 | $325.10 |
$1,000,000 – $1,999,999 | $606.90 |
$2,000,000 – $2,999,999 | $1,329.40 |
$3,000,000 or more | $2,051.90 |
Applications should be processed and the grant posted to you within 5-10 business days. Keep in mind that applications that are filled out incorrectly or are missing important information can significantly delay the process.
As you can see, applying for Letters of Administration in Victoria can be complicated – there are searches to conduct, forms to complete and legislation to interpret. Undertaking the process without adequate experience or advice can lead to errors in determining entitlement and failures in satisfying court requirements. This in turn creates enormous stress and can hold up the process while you go round in circles trying to work out how to rectify your mistakes.
Professional advice is both important and helpful in ensuring an application for Letters of Administration is done correctly and efficiently. However, we know that that advice should not come at an exorbitant cost. Gathered Here offers access to the best lawyers at the most affordable rates. Our Fixed Fee Service means you’ll be told the legal fee for your Letters of Administration application before any work is commenced. Get a fixed fee quote now – it’s free and there’s no obligation to proceed.
Remember that costs associated with acting as administrator such as the costs of our Fixed Fee Service and the Victorian Supreme Court’s filing fee can be reimbursed from the deceased’s estate once a grant of Letters of Administration is obtained.
We hope you’ve found this guide to Letters of Administration Vic useful. For information about dealing with a deceased’s estate, see our Probate FAQs.
If you have any questions about our Fixed Fee Service, or any of our other services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at support@gatheredhere.com.au or start a live chat by clicking the floating message box in the bottom right corner of your screen.
Get peace of mind and write your will for free in less than 10 minutes.
© Gathered Here Pty Ltd - All Rights Reserved