New South Wales Probate Fee Calculator

How the New South Wales probate fee is set

The Supreme Court of NSW filing fee is not a percentage of the estate. It is a fixed amount for each of seven value bands, assessed on the sworn gross value of the estate, meaning debts and liabilities are not deducted before the fee is calculated.

The fee schedule groups probate, letters of administration and reseal of a grant under the same tiered structure, so the table above applies whichever of the three you are filing for.

A nil result at the bottom band is a waiver of the filing fee only. It does not mean a grant is unnecessary; an executor of a small estate can still need probate to deal with real property, most bank accounts and share registries.

The online notice fee and other costs

Before filing, an applicant must publish an online notice of intended application, giving creditors, possible family provision claimants and anyone holding a later will a chance to come forward. Publishing the notice currently costs $59, on top of the tiered filing fee shown above.

Once published, the notice cannot be edited. If it needs correcting after publication, a further $23 amendment fee applies. Budget for the notice fee, and the amendment fee if something changes, in addition to whatever tier the filing fee falls into.

How to apply for probate in New South Wales

Most uncontested applications, whether for probate, administration with the will annexed, or letters of administration where there is no will, are filed online through the NSW Online Registry. Before filing the summons, the applicant must publish the online notice described above and generally wait at least 14 days from publication, a minimum set by the Probate and Administration Act 1898.

Core documents include the original will, a certified death certificate and a supporting affidavit; the Court's own forms list a summons for probate, a draft grant, and separate forms for renunciation and for wills that do not meet the usual formal requirements.

You do not have to use a lawyer; the Court's guidance is written for people applying themselves. Legal advice is still worth getting if a will is contested, ambiguous, or a dispute over entitlement looks likely.

Concessions and fee waivers

A general Supreme Court fee waiver application, not specific to probate but covering it, lets a registrar postpone, remit or waive a court fee. Grounds include being on a pension and holding a Commonwealth health concession card, being represented on a pro bono or legal aid basis or through a community legal centre, genuine financial hardship, or other compassionate grounds such as being a victim of crime.

A registrar decides each application on the evidence provided, including income, assets and ability to obtain credit. This is a discretionary reduction or waiver of the court fee itself, not a change to whether probate is required.

Small estates

New South Wales has no published dollar threshold below which probate is not needed. The Court's own guidance says only that some asset holders will release smaller amounts without a grant, and that this varies by institution.

One situation genuinely avoids the need for a grant: assets held as joint tenants pass automatically to the surviving joint tenant on death, without going through probate at all. Superannuation and life insurance proceeds also commonly sit outside the estate for probate purposes, depending on how they are nominated.

Treat any bank or institution's willingness to release funds without a grant as that institution's own policy, not a legal exemption, particularly for real property or larger balances.

How long it takes

The Supreme Court of NSW publishes a weekly, rolling table of current processing times rather than a single fixed figure. As of late September 2026 that table implied roughly 12 to 24 days from filing to assessment for routine probate, reseal and letters of administration with the will annexed applications.

Plain letters of administration, where there is no will, is tracked as its own queue and was running considerably further behind at the same date. A caveat, a contest over validity, or missing information that triggers a requisition will add time beyond these figures, so check the Court's own current table rather than relying on a fixed number.

What this calculator does not cover

This tool estimates only the Supreme Court of NSW filing fee for the 2026 to 2027 financial year, based on the estate value entered. It does not include the online notice fee, any amendment fee, solicitor's fees, valuation costs, or costs specific to a contested or Probate List matter.