What to Do First Estate Checklist Centrelink & Government Banks & Accounts Super & Insurance Probate Guide Executor Guide
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Estate administration

Australian estate checklist after a death

Every task involved in settling an Australian estate, organised by when it needs to happen. Work through this at your own pace — most things are not as urgent as they feel.

🇦🇺 Australia-wide 📋 60+ tasks 📅 Updated June 2026

This is the full picture — every task an Australian family typically needs to complete after losing someone. It's a lot. You don't have to do it all at once, and you don't have to do it alone.

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Afterward can manage much of this for you
Many of these tasks can be automated, handled by a navigator, or completed via a single form. Log in to Afterward to get a personalised checklist with the tasks relevant to your estate.
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Phase 1 — First 48 hours
Immediate steps
Call 000 (if unexpected death) or treating GP (if expected)
A doctor must certify the death before a funeral director can proceed
Immediate
Contact a funeral director
They will transport and care for the body and advise on next steps
Immediate
Tell immediate family members
Keep a list of who you've contacted — needed for estate notification later
Immediate
Secure the home if living alone
Ensure doors are locked, notify building manager if apartment
Immediate
Locate or begin searching for the will
Home files, solicitor, state will registry
First days
Care for any pets or dependants
Arrange immediate care; document any ongoing needs
Immediate
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Phase 2 — First 2 weeks
Registration, certificates, and urgent notifications
Confirm death has been registered with BDM
Your funeral director usually does this — confirm with them
Week 1
Order certified death certificates (8–10 copies)
Apply to the state BDM registry. Each institution needs an original.
Week 1
Arrange the funeral and confirm date
Inform key people of the time and location
Week 1
Notify Centrelink of the death — call 132 300
Stop any payments immediately to avoid overpayments you'll need to repay
Within 14 days
Notify Medicare — cancel deceased's card
Call Services Australia or visit a service centre
Week 2
Notify primary bank
Bring death certificate and your ID. Freeze sole accounts.
Week 1–2
Notify superannuation fund
Start the death benefit claim process early — it takes time
Week 2
Contact life insurer to begin claim
Locate the policy number; call the bereavement team
Week 2
Cancel or transfer direct debits and recurring payments
Check their bank statements for regular outgoing payments
Week 2
Notify home and contents insurer
Policy may need to be updated or transferred — insurer must be informed
Week 2
Notify employer (if applicable)
May be entitled to death benefits or outstanding pay; ask about super via employer
Week 2
Apply for Centrelink Bereavement Payment
Eligible partners may receive a lump sum — must be claimed within 14 weeks
Within 14 weeks
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Phase 3 — First 3 months
Legal, financial, and estate administration
Determine if probate is required
Generally required if the estate includes real property or significant assets
Month 1
Apply for probate (or letters of administration)
File with the Supreme Court in your state. Takes 4–8 weeks to be granted.
Month 1–2
Notify the ATO of the death
Register the deceased's TFN as deceased; arrange for final tax return
Month 1
Notify remaining banks and financial institutions
Any account not yet notified — savings, credit union, broker accounts
Month 1
Establish an estate bank account
Required to receive funds and pay estate debts — must be in executor's name
Month 1
Cancel credit cards and personal loans
Notify lenders; debts become part of the estate — do not pay from personal funds
Month 1–2
Notify investment and share accounts
Contact broker, share registry, or managed fund administrator
Month 1–2
Notify Australian Electoral Commission
Remove deceased from the electoral roll
Month 1
Cancel passport
Notify the Department of Home Affairs to cancel the deceased's passport
Month 1–2
Cancel driver's licence
Notify the state transport authority
Month 1–2
Cancel or transfer utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet)
Contact providers; transfer accounts to the surviving partner or estate
Month 1–2
Cancel subscriptions (streaming, memberships, gym, etc.)
Check bank statements and email inbox for recurring subscriptions
Month 2
Cancel mobile phone plan
Contact the provider's bereavement team — Telstra, Optus, Vodafone all have one
Month 1–2
Notify loyalty programs (Qantas, Woolworths Rewards, etc.)
Points may be transferable to next of kin in some cases
Month 2
Notify DVA if the deceased was a veteran
Cancel DVA entitlements; surviving partner may be eligible for DVA benefits
Month 1
Notify private health insurer
Cancel or update the policy to single cover for the surviving partner
Month 2
Close or memoralise social media accounts
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn — each has a bereavement or memorialisation process
Month 2–3
Obtain a formal estate valuation (if required)
Needed for probate and for calculating CGT on assets
Month 2
Notify beneficiaries formally of the estate
Executor has a legal obligation to notify beneficiaries of their entitlements
Month 2
Advertise for creditors (if required)
Required in some states to protect the executor from personal liability
Month 2
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Phase 4 — 3 to 12 months
Finalising the estate
Lodge the deceased's final tax return
For the financial year in which they died — engage a tax agent
Month 3–12
Lodge estate income tax return (if applicable)
Required if the estate earns income — rental, dividends, interest
Month 6–12
Transfer or sell property
Requires probate to have been granted; engage a conveyancer or solicitor
Month 4–12
Transfer or sell vehicles
VicRoads, TMR, Service NSW etc — bring death certificate and grant of probate
Month 3–6
Pay all estate debts
Must be done before distributing to beneficiaries
Month 3–6
Distribute estate assets to beneficiaries
After debts, taxes, and legal costs — distribute according to the will
Month 6–12
Prepare and sign estate accounts
A final accounting of all estate income and outgoings — shared with beneficiaries
Month 9–12
Obtain releases from beneficiaries
Signed acknowledgement that they've received their entitlement — protects the executor
Month 10–12
Close the estate bank account
Once all payments are made and taxes are settled
Month 12
Afterward
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Log in to Afterward and we'll build a personalised version of this checklist — filtered to your state, your relationship to the deceased, and the assets involved. Your tasks, in the right order, with built-in guides for each one.
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Frequently asked questions

Common questions about settling an estate

Most Australian estates involve between 40 and 70 individual tasks. A simple estate with few assets may involve 30–40; a complex estate with property, investments, business interests, and multiple beneficiaries can exceed 70.

The checklist above covers the most common tasks — Afterward helps you identify which ones apply to your specific situation.

Yes. The executor must pay all debts, taxes, and estate liabilities before distributing assets to beneficiaries. If assets are distributed before all debts are cleared and there are insufficient funds remaining to pay creditors, the executor can be personally liable for the shortfall.

This is one of the most important — and most misunderstood — aspects of being an executor.

There is no strict statutory deadline, but executors have a general duty to act with reasonable promptness. Beneficiaries can apply to court to compel an executor to act if the estate is unreasonably delayed.

The ATO requires the final tax return to be lodged; Centrelink has its own 14-week deadline for bereavement payment claims. Probate applications are typically filed within 3–6 months. Most estates are finalised within 12 months.

If an executor fails to act, beneficiaries or creditors can apply to the Supreme Court to remove the executor and appoint someone else (or the public trustee). The executor can also be held personally liable for losses suffered by the estate as a result of their inaction.

Being named executor in a will means you have legal obligations — not just the option to help.

Also in this guide series
🤲 What to Do First 🏛️ Centrelink & Government 🏦 Banks & Accounts 💰 Super & Insurance ⚖️ Probate Guide 📁 Executor Guide