What is the first thing to do after a terminal diagnosis in Australia?

The first priority is finding the right specialist. Ask your GP for a referral to a relevant specialist at a major hospital or cancer centre. You should also consider seeking a second opinion, which is not only acceptable but encouraged. Alongside the medical side, start legal and financial steps early: update your will, set up an Enduring Power of Attorney, and nominate a superannuation beneficiary.

How do I find the right specialist after a terminal diagnosis in Australia?

Your GP is the starting point for specialist referrals. For complex conditions, major centres such as Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Melbourne), Chris O'Brien Lifehouse (Sydney), or the Queensland Cancer Centre offer multidisciplinary specialist teams. You can also ask your specialist for an early referral to a palliative care team, even while still receiving active treatment.

What is an Advance Care Directive and when should I do one?

An Advance Care Directive is a legal document that records your wishes about medical treatment if you become unable to communicate them yourself. In Australia, the format and legal requirements vary by state and territory. It is best completed as early as possible after a diagnosis, while both parties can participate fully in the conversation.

What is an Enduring Power of Attorney and why does it matter after a diagnosis?

An Enduring Power of Attorney is a legal document that gives someone you trust the authority to make financial and legal decisions on your behalf if you lose capacity. Unlike a standard Power of Attorney, it remains valid after you lose capacity. It must be done while the person granting it still has legal capacity to do so.

Is it too early to contact palliative care at the diagnosis stage?

No. Palliative care is not just end-of-life care. It can and should begin at the time of diagnosis, alongside active treatment. Research shows that people who engage palliative care early often have better quality of life and sometimes live longer.

What to do after a terminal diagnosis in Australia

Your checklist

Everything that needs to happen

You are doing enough. Carer support is available at every stage.

Legal

Update or create the will

Keep the will, power of attorney and advance care directive together, encrypted and easy to find, in the document vault.See the document vault

Set up Enduring Power of Attorney

Complete an Advance Care Directive

Check and update life insurance beneficiaries

Review any business interests, partnerships or directorships

Financial

Nominate account beneficiaries

Locate all insurance policies and confirm coverage

Keep every account, policy and provider in one place, so nobody is left searching later, in the account register.See the account register

Go through all accounts, logins and passwords together

Review the joint and individual bank accounts

Meet the financial adviser or accountant together

Understand which assets are jointly owned and which are sole

Medical & Practical

Meet with the palliative care team (earlier is always better)

Create and keep a current medication list

Keep a running log of every dose, with a reminder when the next one is due, in the medication diary.See the medication diary

Have the conversation about funeral wishes, together

Record funeral and service wishes in one quiet place, so the people who follow are not left guessing, in the last wishes registry.See the last wishes registry

Complete the digital estate checklist (subscriptions and accounts)

Help them write letters or record messages for the people they love

Write to the people you love and keep those letters somewhere safe and private, in legacy messages.See legacy messages

Medical

Ensure the Advance Care Directive is at home, with the GP, and at hospital

Confirm the palliative care team has current contact details for the household

Know what each medication does and who to call with questions

Keep a running log of every dose, with a reminder when the next one is due, in the medication diary.See the medication diary

Ask the palliative care nurse what to expect in the final days

Decide and document where they want to die: home, hospice, or hospital

Record funeral and service wishes in one quiet place, so the people who follow are not left guessing, in the last wishes registry.See the last wishes registry

Know whether to call 000 or the palliative care team (calling 000 can override care wishes)

Practical

Create a list of people to notify, with phone numbers

Keep every organisation and person to notify in one place, and mark off each one as it is done, in the notification tracker.See the notification tracker

Brief close family and friends on wishes and what will happen

Have the conversation about funeral wishes: burial or cremation, type of service, specific requests

Write down their funeral wishes somewhere accessible

Research funeral directors in your area and request itemised quotes from at least two

Check whether a pre-paid funeral plan or funeral insurance exists

Contact the superannuation fund to understand its bereavement payment process

Legal

Confirm the executor knows where the original will is located

Confirm the person with Power of Attorney knows their role and what to do

Personal

Say what you need to say. There is rarely a wrong time.

First 24 to 72 hours

Contact the GP or palliative care nurse to confirm the death

Contact a funeral director. They will guide you through the next steps.

Confirm burial or cremation if not already decided

Obtain the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death from the treating doctor

Notify immediate family and close friends

Secure the deceased's home: keys, pets, valuables

First two weeks

Confirm the funeral service: date, venue, and celebrant or officiant

Keep every organisation and person to notify in one place, and mark off each one as it is done, in the notification tracker.See the notification tracker

Obtain at least 10 certified copies of the Death Certificate

Notify Centrelink / Services Australia (bereavement payment may apply)

Notify the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)

Notify all superannuation funds and begin death benefit claim

Contact all banks and financial institutions

Cancel Medicare card and notify Medicare

Cancel or transfer utilities, subscriptions, and recurring payments

Estate (weeks to months)

Locate the original will and confirm the executor

Keep the will, power of attorney and advance care directive together, encrypted and easy to find, in the document vault.See the document vault

Determine whether Probate is required

Apply for Probate through the Supreme Court if required

Notify life insurance companies and begin claims process

Transfer or sell real property (requires solicitor)

Lodge the date-of-death tax return with a tax agent

Distribute the estate to beneficiaries per the will

Close digital accounts: email, social media, subscriptions

Diagnosis

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Everything that needs to happen

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Everything that needs to happen

Real specialists, near you

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