NAB Probate Threshold: When You Need Probate to Access Funds

You've notified the bank, provided the death certificate, and now NAB is telling you they need a Grant of Probate before releasing the funds. Whether you actually need probate depends on the account balance — and the threshold varies dramatically between Australian banks.

NAB's Current Threshold

The National Australia Bank enforces a probate threshold of approximately $50,000 for solely owned accounts. If the deceased's NAB accounts hold less than $50,000 in total, the bank will typically release funds upon presentation of:

• An original or certified copy of the death certificate
• A certified copy of the will (if one exists)
• Identification of the executor or next of kin
• A completed indemnity form (NAB's internal release document)

If the total balance exceeds $50,000, NAB requires a formal Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration for intestate estates) before releasing any funds.

The Funeral Exception

Regardless of the account balance, NAB — like all major Australian banks — will release funds directly to a funeral director from the deceased's frozen account. The funeral director presents an original, itemized invoice to the bank, and the payment goes directly to them. You don't need probate for this, and the payment comes from the deceased's own funds, not yours.

How Other Banks Compare

There's no statutory baseline for these thresholds in Australia. Every bank sets its own internal policy, and the variation is enormous:

These numbers are internal policies, not published regulations. They can change, and branch managers sometimes have discretion for borderline cases. If the deceased held accounts at multiple banks, each institution assesses its threshold independently — you might need probate for one bank but not another.

Joint Accounts Are Different

If the bank account was jointly held, the surviving account holder retains full access. The bank simply removes the deceased's name from the account upon presentation of a death certificate. No probate is required, no threshold applies, and the funds don't form part of the estate.

What If the Balance Is Close to the Threshold?

If the deceased's NAB balance sits just above $50,000, you're locked into the probate process. The Supreme Court of Queensland filing fee is $819.90 (concession $149.60), plus $161.70 for the mandatory QLR notice. The process takes a minimum of 6–10 weeks from the first publication to receiving the electronic grant.

For estates valued under $150,000 total (across all assets, not just bank accounts), the Public Trustee of Queensland can administer the estate under Section 30 of the Public Trustee Act 1978, bypassing the Supreme Court process. Their service fee is approximately $3,239.60.

Superannuation and Life Insurance

Superannuation death benefits with a valid binding death benefit nomination paid to a named dependant bypass the estate entirely — they're paid directly by the super fund, not through the bank account. Same for life insurance policies with a named beneficiary. Neither requires probate regardless of value.

If the deceased's super doesn't have a valid binding nomination, the super fund trustee decides who receives the death benefit. This is a separate process from the estate and isn't subject to bank thresholds.

Getting Organized

The bank threshold question is just the first decision point. Once you know whether probate is needed, the path forward involves property transfers, tax obligations, creditor notices, and safe distribution timelines — each with its own Queensland-specific deadlines. The Queensland Estate Settlement Guide provides a complete bank threshold matrix alongside the full chronological workflow for settling an estate in Queensland.

See more Queensland guides →