Someone has died. What happens now?
Dealing with a loved one's estate can feel overwhelming, particularly when you're also dealing with grief.
Horizon Legal Group's experienced estate team can guide you through probate, administration and distribution from beginning to end — or simply help with the parts you need.
Probate | Letters of Administration | Executor Advice | Full Estate Administration
Which situation applies to you?
There is a Will
and I'm the Executor
We can advise you about your responsibilities, whether probate is required and what should happen next.
There is no Will
We can determine who is entitled to administer the estate and assist with Letters of Administration.
I only need help
obtaining Probate
If you intend to administer the estate yourself, Horizon can assist with the probate application.
I want someone to handle the estate for me
Our estate team can manage the administration process from identifying assets through to distribution.
I need help to sell
an estate property
Our estate team and conveyancing team can work together if the property needs to be sold for the estate
I am a beneficiary and
I have questions
We can provide advice to a beneficiary about their rights and liaise with the executor on their behalf
We can help with probate only, or do the entire process
1 / Review the Will and discuss the Roadmap for the estate
We can meet with you for a fixed fee appointment and advise you on what work the estate will require, giving you a roadmap and timeframe for each step
2 / Obtain Probate or Letters of Administration if required
We can assist with the Probate application for a fixed fee, and you can take it from there or we can do it all
3 / Deal with Property and Gather Assets
We can talk to the banks, super funds, aged care facilities, and other asset holders; and transmit the property to the executor ready for sale if need be
4 / Pay any estate liabilities and work with your accountant about tax
We can pay all the estate bills from the funds collected into the estate, keeping a clean record of expenses for you; and we can work with your accountant to ensure the tax is also paid if necessary
5 / Deal with any issues with beneficiaries
If any beneficiaries want to contest the Will or a dispute arises, our estate team can guide you through the process of defending the Will against any claim
6 / Finalise & Distribute the Estate
We can calculate the available funds for distribution after all estate expenses and make payment to each of the beneficiaries ensuring the provisions in the Will are properly followed.
EXECUTOR STARTER PACK
Review the Will and give you a Roadmap for the estate. You do the rest.
1 hour appointment
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$395+GST
PROBATE PACK
Executor Starter Pack plus we take care of obtaining the Grant of Probate. You do the rest.
1 hour appointment plus do the Probate Application
​
$3745+GST+Outlays
TITLE ONLY PACK
We take care of changing the title so the executor can sell the property on behalf of the estate. You do the rest.
$750+GST+Outlays
price per property
FULL ESTATE SERVICE PACK
We work with the executor to do the whole process of administering the estate from beginning to end.
Estimates provided based on complexity of estate
Choose the level of help you need
With a range of fixed fee and tailored services, you can choose the level of help you need from us.
How do estate legal fees work?
In many estates, legal fees paid by the executor can be reimbursed from the estate once sufficient estate funds have been collected. This can sometimes mean the executor needs to pay legal costs upfront and wait to be reimbursed later.
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When you engage Horizon Legal Group to manage the full estate administration process, we can take care of those legal costs upfront so you are not left funding the administration personally. We then recover those costs from the estate once funds become available.
This can reduce the financial pressure on executors at an already difficult time and allows the estate administration to move forward without unnecessary delay.
Meet our Estates Team
Our estates team has a wealth of experience. From administering straight forward estates to guiding clients through complex estate disputes, our team is here to help.
Elisabeth Roeland
Associate
Anita Cox
Paralegal - Estate Administration
Penny McCreery
Principal & Legal Practice Director