In July 2020, the Supreme Court of Victoria introduced a new compulsory electronic system for lodging and issuing Grants of Probate and Letters of Administration.
When a person passes away leaving assets in Victoria, it is that person’s Executors who must apply for a Grant of Probate of the will in order to deal with their assets. If the person has passed away without leaving a will, then their next-of-kin must apply for a Grant of Letters of Administration to allow them to do this.
Until recently, Grants could only be issued by the Court as a single hard-copy, causing inconvenience if the Grant was lost, or if banks or other institutions wished to sight the original. With the introduction of electronic Grants, dealing with an estate may be easier as many of these institutions may no longer require an original or certified copy. The Grant is also stored on a central website and cannot be lost or misplaced.
KCL Law’s Estate Group was part of a select group of firms that participated in the pre-launch program and had access to the Court’s electronic system before it was introduced state-wide. As a result, we are well-placed to offer assistance when applying for electronic Grants.
More information
For more information or assistance dealing with an estate, please contact a member of our Estate Group below.
| Sam Frey, Principal Lawyer and Head of Estate Group D +61 3 8600 8885 E sfrey@kcllaw.com.au | Jennifer Maher, Principal Lawyer and Accredited Wills and Estates Specialist D +61 3 8600 0710 E jmaher@kcllaw.com.au | Paul Beasant, Special Counsel D +61 3 8600 8817 E pbeasant@kcllaw.com.au |
| Hayley Hunter, Senior Associate D +61 3 8600 8806 E hhunter@kcllaw.com.au | Ainsleigh Lugger, Associate D +61 3 8600 8826 E alugger@kcllaw.com.au |
Note: This update is a guide only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.