Public Trust NZ Fees: What Estate Administration Actually Costs

When someone dies and leaves an estate to be administered, you face a choice: do it yourself, use Public Trust, or hire a private solicitor. The right answer depends on how complex the estate is — and what your time and stress tolerance look like.

Here's a clear breakdown of what each option actually costs.

The DIY Option

If you're the executor and willing to do the work yourself, the cash costs are low.

The main expense is the probate application: $269 at the High Court registry. Beyond that, you're paying for certified death certificates ($35 each, typically 3-5 needed), any required valuations, and potentially a few hours of legal advice for specific questions.

If the estate is simple — one property, some bank accounts, a clear will, beneficiaries who agree — a competent executor can handle it without professional help. The IRD filings are straightforward. The probate application involves some paperwork but there are clear instructions.

The real cost of DIY is time. Estate administration typically takes 12 to 18 months from death to final distribution. You'll spend that time chasing agencies, managing paperwork, filing returns, and dealing with institutions that all want their own certified copies of everything.

If you're also the surviving spouse processing your own grief, managing the household, and trying to understand what benefits you're entitled to, adding full estate administration on top can be genuinely overwhelming.

Public Trust

Public Trust is a Crown entity that offers professional estate administration. They've been doing this for over 150 years and handle thousands of estates annually.

How their fees work:

Public Trust charges based on the work involved. Their fee structure includes:

• An acceptance fee charged when they take on the estate
• Administration fees based on a percentage of the gross estate value (often 3-5% for straightforward estates)
• Hourly rates for work that falls outside standard administration
• Disbursements for third-party costs (valuations, court fees, advertising)

For a $300,000 estate, professional administration at 4% would cost around $12,000. For a $500,000 estate, fees could run $15,000-$25,000 depending on complexity.

These fees are paid from the estate before distribution to beneficiaries — they're not out-of-pocket for the executor.

When Public Trust makes sense:

• The estate is large or complex
• There are multiple properties or business interests
• Family relationships are contentious
• You live overseas or can't dedicate time to administration
• You're the executor and also a beneficiary, and want independent administration to avoid conflict

The downside: For smaller estates, percentage-based fees can feel disproportionate. A $100,000 estate with 3% fees means $3,000 going to administration costs — versus $269 for DIY probate.

Private Solicitors

Private solicitors (lawyers) also do estate administration. Cost varies significantly by firm, location, and estate complexity.

Typical ranges:

• Simple estate (one property, straightforward will): $2,000-$4,000
• Moderate complexity: $4,000-$8,000
• Complex estate (multiple properties, business interests, disputes, overseas assets): $8,000-$20,000+

Solicitors usually charge hourly (rates typically $200-$450/hour depending on the firm and experience of the lawyer), sometimes with a minimum fixed fee. Ask upfront whether they charge hourly or by percentage, and get a written estimate.

The advantage of a private solicitor over Public Trust is that you can choose your lawyer and build a relationship. If you already have a family solicitor who knows your situation, using them for estate administration can be smoother than starting fresh with Public Trust.

Comparing the Three Options

The Hidden Costs of Getting It Wrong

Whichever path you choose, the cost of executor errors can dwarf the professional fees you might have saved.

Distributing the estate before paying all debts makes you personally liable for those debts. Missing an IRD filing creates penalties and interest. Failing to get proper valuations can create disputes with beneficiaries that lead to litigation.

For executors with no prior experience, spending $1,500-$2,000 for a solicitor to oversee the process (even if you do most of the legwork yourself) is often the best middle ground: you control the timeline and relationship with beneficiaries, but you have professional backup for the decisions that matter.

What This Doesn't Cover

Estate administration is only one part of the financial picture when someone dies. As a surviving spouse, you also need to navigate your own entitlements — survivor benefits from Work & Income, KiwiSaver early withdrawal, ACC payments if the death involved an accident, Veterans Affairs entitlements, and more.

These are separate processes from estate administration and have their own deadlines, forms, and thresholds. The NZ Survivor Benefits guide walks through all of them systematically, including what happens to your own benefit eligibility when you receive an inheritance from the estate.

Practical Advice

Before choosing between options, assess the estate honestly:

1. What's in it? Property, bank accounts, investments, business interests, vehicles, superannuation?
2. Is the will clear? Are there likely to be disputes between beneficiaries?
3. How much time do you realistically have? Can you commit to 12-18 months of administration work?
4. What's your comfort level with bureaucracy? IRD filings, court applications, and agency notifications are all manageable — but some people find them deeply stressful.
5. What's the estate's net value? If it's under $50,000 total, professional fees may not be warranted. If it's over $500,000, professional administration pays for itself in reduced risk.

If in doubt, pay for an initial consultation with a solicitor ($200-$400) to scope the complexity before committing to a path. Most solicitors will tell you honestly whether the estate warrants full professional administration.

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