DIY Probate in South Australia: What It Costs and Whether You Can Do It Without a Lawyer

South Australian law does not require you to use a solicitor to apply for probate. The CourtSA portal was designed specifically to enable self-represented applications, and the Supreme Court Probate Registry processes thousands of them annually. Whether you should do it yourself depends on the complexity of the estate, your tolerance for detailed paperwork, and whether the fees you'd pay a professional are worth it.

Here's an honest breakdown of the costs and what DIY actually involves.

What Does Probate Cost in South Australia Without a Lawyer

The unavoidable cost is the Supreme Court filing fee, which scales with the gross value of the South Australian estate:

These fees are indexed annually on 1 July. Verify the current schedule with the Courts Administration Authority before filing.

For context: given median property prices in Adelaide, a modest family home alone will typically push most estates above the $500,000 threshold, meaning the baseline court fee for most home-owning estates is $2,628.

Additional costs you'll incur regardless of whether you use a lawyer:

• Death Certificate copies: approximately $50–$60 each from Consumer and Business Services
• Property valuation (if no council rates notice is available): typically $300–$800 from a licensed valuer
• Land Services SA Transmission Application fee: approximately $192 (for property transfers after probate)

Total out-of-pocket for a typical DIY probate application: $3,000–$4,000 for a mid-size estate, before any property transfer fees.

What Does a Probate Solicitor or Lawyer Cost in Adelaide

Probate solicitors in Adelaide typically charge in one of three ways:

Fixed fee: Most Adelaide firms now offer fixed-fee probate services for straightforward, uncontested estates. Common quotes from well-known Adelaide firms and LawTech providers range from $1,999 to $4,000 + GST, on top of the court fees. For a simple estate, this adds $2,000–$4,000 to the unavoidable costs above.

Percentage of estate: Some traditional firms charge a percentage of the estate value (often 1–2% of gross assets). For a $600,000 estate, that's $6,000–$12,000 in professional fees — on top of the $2,628 court fee.

Hourly rate: Adelaide solicitors specialising in estates typically charge $300–$500 per hour. A straightforward probate matter may take 8–15 hours of solicitor time.

The total professional fees for a moderately complex estate — one with a family home, several bank accounts, and one or two investment accounts — often land between $3,000 and $6,000 + GST at a fixed-fee firm, or higher at an hourly-rate firm.

What DIY Probate Actually Involves

Since Chapter 25 of the Uniform Civil Rules 2020 took effect, the entire probate application process runs through the CourtSA portal. You'll need to:

1. Register for a CourtSA account
2. Complete the online questionnaire, which generates your draft Statement of Assets and Liabilities and the grant application
3. Upload high-quality PDF scans of the Death Certificate, the original will (scanned intact — do not remove staples), and the Certificate of Identity
4. Pay the filing fee online by credit card
5. Print the CourtSA coversheet and physically post or deliver the original will, the Certificate of Identity, and the coversheet to the Probate Registry at the Sir Samuel Way Building, 241–259 Victoria Square, Adelaide

The application will not be reviewed until the physical documents are received and matched to the digital file. The registry won't start the clock until both steps are complete.

Where Self-Represented Executors Go Wrong

The most common mistakes that trigger a formal "requisition" (a registry request for correction):

Removing staples from the will. The Probate Registry treats evidence of staple removal as a potential sign that pages were added or removed. Even if you're just trying to scan the document flat, any signs of tampering will generate an automatic requisition requiring an explanatory affidavit. Scan the will with the staple intact.

Asset valuations without supporting evidence. The registry rejects personal estimates of real estate value. You need the Valuer General figure from the council rates notice, or a formal valuation from a licensed property valuer. Bank statements must be current. Superannuation balances must come from the fund.

Name discrepancies between the will and the Death Certificate. If the deceased's name appears differently (middle name included on one document, omitted on another, or a shortened form used), you'll need to address this discrepancy explicitly in the application. Failing to flag it will result in a requisition.

Not physically lodging the original will. Many executors complete the online application and pay the fee, then assume the process is underway. It isn't. The original physical will must be mailed or hand-delivered to the registry. The online payment doesn't start the review.

Is DIY Right for Your Estate

DIY probate is realistic for:

• Estates with a clear, straightforward will naming one executor
• A family home and a few bank accounts, without complex investments or business interests
• An executor who is organised, comfortable with online forms, and able to source proper valuations
• Estates where there's no dispute, no contested will, and no insolvent estate

DIY is not advisable for:

• Intestate estates with multiple competing potential administrators
• Estates with significant business assets, overseas assets, or complex superannuation structures
• Any estate where family members are in dispute or a family provision claim is being threatened
• An insolvent estate (where debts exceed assets) — the executor faces personal liability risk that requires professional management

For those in the middle — willing to do the work but wanting a clear map of the process — a structured guide to the CourtSA portal requirements, estate valuation rules, and post-grant asset transfer steps can replace thousands of dollars in professional fees.

The South Australia Probate Process Guide provides the complete step-by-step process for self-represented executors, including the CourtSA checklist, bank threshold comparisons, and Land Services SA property transfer requirements.

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