How Long Does Probate Take in Victoria?

The honest answer is 3 to 6 months for a straightforward estate — but there is a wide range, and the delays are almost never random. They follow predictable patterns: a name mismatch between the will and death certificate, a staple removed from the original will, a bank that drags its feet releasing funds, or a beneficiary who disputes the distribution.

Understanding where the time actually goes helps you set realistic expectations with your family, plan your finances, and avoid the mistakes that add weeks to an already exhausting process.

The Full Victoria Probate Timeline: Stage by Stage

Stage 1: Death Certificate (1–3 Weeks)

Everything starts here. The funeral director typically registers the death, but you must order the official death certificate from Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM) Victoria. The Supreme Court requires a certified copy showing the cause of death — the standard certificate alone is not sufficient.

BDM Victoria processes orders in roughly 1 to 2 weeks for standard delivery. The Death Certificate Package (which includes both the standard certificate and the cause of death certificate) costs $93.30, with express postage available for an additional $10.40. Order immediately and use express postage — the certificate is the prerequisite for everything that follows.

If the death occurred outside Victoria, or involved a coronial investigation, the timeline for receiving certified documentation can stretch to several weeks or longer.

Stage 2: Estate Assessment (1–2 Weeks)

Before touching the RedCrest-Probate portal, you need a clear picture of the estate's assets and liabilities. This means contacting every financial institution, superannuation fund, insurer, and land registry to establish:

• Account balances as at the date of death
• Whether real estate is held as joint tenants or as tenants in common
• Whether superannuation has a binding death benefit nomination
• Total gross value of Victorian-held assets (this determines the Supreme Court filing fee)

Assets held as joint tenants pass automatically to the surviving owner and do not form part of the probate estate. Getting clear on this distinction early can sometimes eliminate the need for probate entirely.

If the estate is relatively simple — a bank account under $34,310 (the 2026-2027 informal release threshold) with no real estate held solely — formal probate may not be required at all, and you can pursue an informal release under Section 31A of the Administration and Probate Act 1958.

Stage 3: Notice of Intention Publication (15 Clear Days — Mandatory)

Once you begin the RedCrest-Probate application, the first formal step is publishing a Notice of Intention to apply for probate. This is the mandatory public advertisement that gives creditors and potential challengers the chance to come forward.

After you publish and pay the advertising fee ($35.90 to $49.00), the system enforces a statutory waiting period of 15 clear days from the date of publication. You cannot file the substantive application during this time — the portal blocks it.

Use these 15 days to:

• Complete the Inventory of Assets and Liabilities inside RedCrest
• Obtain valuations for real estate and share portfolios
• Locate an authorised witness (Justice of the Peace, police officer, or legal practitioner)
• Prepare your supporting documents

Stage 4: Document Signing and Preparation (1–3 Days)

Once the 15 days expire, the portal generates your document package: the Affidavit in Support, the Inventory, and the Certificates Identifying Exhibits. These must be printed and signed in the physical presence of an authorised witness. The witness must also sign the back of the original will.

Do not remove any staples, clips, or bindings from the original will to scan or copy it. The Supreme Court physically inspects the original will upon receipt. Staple holes or binding marks imply that additional pages may have been removed, triggering an Affidavit of Plight and Condition — a sworn document explaining the damage — which adds weeks to the timeline.

Stage 5: Digital Upload and Physical Lodgment (1–2 Days + Postage)

After witnessing, you scan the signed documents back to PDF and upload them to RedCrest. You pay the tiered filing fee through the portal. Estates under $250,000 pay nothing. Estates between $500,000 and $1,000,000 pay $1,088. The fee is based on gross Victorian asset value before deducting debts.

Then the step most executors miss: the portal generates an Originating Motion that must be physically mailed to the Supreme Court of Victoria — 210 William Street, Melbourne — along with the original will and original Certificates Identifying Exhibits. Use registered post and retain the tracking receipt. The Court will not begin reviewing your digital file until the physical documents arrive.

Allow 2 to 5 business days for delivery, plus the time to print and prepare the envelope.

Stage 6: Court Processing (5–10 Working Days — If No Requisition)

Once the physical documents arrive at the Probate Office, a registrar reviews the application. If everything is in order, the Grant of Probate is issued within 5 to 10 working days.

If the Court identifies an issue — a name discrepancy, a missing exhibit, a formatting error — it issues a formal requisition. This is a written notice requiring you to correct the error and resubmit. Depending on the nature of the error, a requisition can add anywhere from 2 to 8 additional weeks:

• Name mismatch between the will and death certificate → Affidavit of Identity required
• Staple marks on the will → Affidavit of Plight and Condition required
• Advertisement error → Re-advertisement, fresh 15-day wait, amended Originating Motion
• Missing document or incorrect format → Resubmission with corrected materials

The Probate Office cannot provide legal advice on how to fix a requisition. At this point, many executors engage a solicitor or paralegal, adding several hundred to several thousand dollars in professional fees.

Stage 7: Post-Grant Administration (1–6+ Months)

Receiving the grant is the midpoint of estate administration, not the end. After the grant is issued:

Banking: Most banks release funds within 2 to 4 weeks of receiving a certified copy of the grant, the death certificate, and completed bank forms. Institutions vary in their processing times.

Real estate: Transferring title to real estate requires lodging a Transmission Application (Section 49 of the Transfer of Land Act) through the PEXA electronic conveyancing network. You will need a licensed conveyancer or property solicitor for this. Allow 4 to 8 weeks depending on conveyancer workload.

Tax obligations: If the estate earns income above the tax-free threshold during administration, the executor must obtain a Trust Tax File Number and lodge annual trust tax returns by 31 October each year.

6-month distribution hold: Eligible family members have 6 months from the date the grant is issued to file a family provision claim (a challenge to the will's distributions). Distributing assets before this window closes exposes the executor to personal liability. Most executors wait until this period has fully elapsed before making final distributions.

What the Total Timeline Looks Like

A smooth estate — straightforward assets, no disputes, no requisitions — moves from death certificate to final distribution in roughly 9 to 12 months total when the 6-month creditor period is included.

If a requisition occurs, or if the estate includes complex assets, disputed distributions, or foreign property, the timeline extends accordingly.

What Speeds Probate Up

• Ordering the death certificate on the day of registration
• Using the 15-day wait productively to complete the full inventory
• Having the original will stored properly (no staple removal, no photocopying that involves removing the binding)
• Ensuring the deceased's name is consistent across all documents before publishing the advertisement
• Sending the physical will and Originating Motion via registered post immediately after digital submission

For a complete checklist and timeline tools, the Victoria Probate Process Guide maps every stage with the documents required at each step and templates for communicating timelines to beneficiaries.

See more Victoria guides →