Probate is granted by the Supreme Court of the state or territory where the person lived or held their assets. This page covers the Northern Territory first: the office, how the court takes applications and what it publishes about timing. The national guide follows.
Applying for probate in the Northern Territory
Where the application goes
Supreme Court of the Northern Territory, Civil Registry
How the court takes applications
The court sets out four steps. Work out the type of grant. Publish the notice of intention on the Supreme Court website by emailing it to the court. Search the Public Trustee’s index of wills and the court’s own records, both by email. Then complete the affidavits and forms and email them to the Probate Officer.
Completed forms are printed, signed and witnessed, scanned as separate PDF documents and emailed to the Probate Officer, with the court fee paid through the court’s electronic payment form.
Template affidavits, forms and an information sheet on applying for probate are published on the court’s wills and probate page.
The public notice step
The court states that a notice must be published on the Supreme Court website for 14 days before an application for a grant of representation can be filed. The notice is filed by email and published by the court.
How long the court says it takes
The court does not publish a standard processing time for probate applications. The registry can tell you what it is currently working through.
Fees
The court fee to lodge an application for a grant is a fixed amount, made up of a filing fee and a search fee. It does not scale with the value of the estate. The current amounts are on the official page: Wills and probate at the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.
Applying without a lawyer
Information sheet: applying for probate
This is how the process works in the Northern Territory in general terms, as the authority describes it. For your own case, the people to ask are Supreme Court of the Northern Territory, Civil Registry, or a solicitor in the Northern Territory if the estate is not straightforward.
We checked the facts for the Northern Territory against the authority’s own pages on 13 September 2026.
The national guide follows. Where it talks in general terms about timing, how fees are set or which office to use, the the Northern Territory section above is the one to rely on.
What probate is
Probate is a grant from the Supreme Court of the relevant state or territory that confirms two things: the will presented is the valid last will of the deceased, and the person named as executor has legal authority to administer the estate.
It is the executor's official credentials. When you present a grant of probate to a bank, share registry, or government agency, they can release information and transfer assets without any personal liability. Without it, many institutions will not act.
The probate application is made to the Supreme Court in the state or territory where the deceased person lived or held their assets. Each state's process is set out on its own page: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory. The process is administrative rather than adversarial. In most cases there is no court hearing.
When you need probate
Not all estates require probate. The main situations where it is needed: the estate includes real property in the deceased's sole name; a financial institution requires it to release funds (typically for accounts or investments above $50,000 to $100,000, though thresholds vary); or there is a dispute about the validity of the will.
Jointly held assets generally pass automatically to the surviving owner by operation of law. They do not form part of the estate and do not trigger a probate requirement. Assets with a named beneficiary, such as a binding superannuation death benefit nomination, also pass outside the estate.
If you are not sure whether probate is required, contact the Supreme Court Registry in your state, or speak with an estate solicitor. The cost of an early consultation is modest compared to the cost of errors made later.
What if there is no will
If the person died without a valid will, they died intestate. In this situation there is no executor and no will to probate. Instead, an eligible person, usually a spouse, de facto partner, or adult child, can apply to the Supreme Court for Letters of Administration.
Letters of Administration serve the same purpose as a grant of probate: they authorise the administrator to deal with the estate. The estate is then distributed according to the intestacy laws of the relevant state or territory, which set out a fixed order of priority for who inherits.
Intestacy situations are more complex and more likely to require professional legal assistance. Contact an estate solicitor early if there is no will, or if the will cannot be located.
Documents required for the application
The standard probate application requires: the original will (the physical document, not a copy); the original death certificate or a certified copy; completed application forms from the Supreme Court Registry in your state; an inventory of the estate's assets and liabilities; and an affidavit sworn by the executor confirming the facts of the application.
Some states require that the original will be retained by the Registry throughout the process. If you cannot locate the original will, speak with a solicitor before proceeding. There are processes for dealing with lost or destroyed wills, but they add complexity and time.
Filing fees apply and vary by state. In some states they are set in bands tied to the value of the estate; in others a single fixed fee applies. The state pages link each court's current schedule. Ask the Registry or your solicitor for a fee estimate based on your estate's approximate value before you apply.
Using a solicitor versus applying yourself
It is possible to apply for probate without a solicitor. Each state's Supreme Court provides self-help guides and application forms online. Victoria's guide is published at supremecourt.vic.gov.au; each Supreme Court publishes equivalent resources, linked from the state pages. For simple estates with a clear will, no disputes, and straightforward assets, a self-represented application is realistic and saves on legal costs.
For estates that involve real property, multiple beneficiaries, or any complexity at all, using an estate solicitor is generally worth the cost. Errors in the application cause delays, and a solicitor will also advise on obligations you may not be aware of, including the executor's duty to settle all estate debts before distributing assets to beneficiaries.
If you engage a solicitor, confirm they have specific experience with estate administration rather than just will-writing. Ask for a fixed-fee quote for the probate application upfront so you know exactly what you are committing to.
How long the process takes
In most cases, probate is granted within four to eight weeks of filing a complete application. Times vary by state and by how busy the Registry is: in some states it can be faster, and during peak periods it can take longer.
Some states now offer online probate application processes that reduce both cost and processing time. Ask your solicitor or the Registry about what is available in your state before filing a paper application.
Do not wait for probate before starting other estate administration tasks. Many things can proceed in parallel: gathering documents, contacting institutions to understand their requirements, dealing with jointly held assets that pass outside the estate, and arranging insurance on estate property.
What happens after probate is granted
Once the grant is issued, you receive an official document from the Court. You can obtain certified copies to use with different institutions. Keep the original safe and submit certified copies to banks, share registries, and government agencies.
With probate in hand, you can open an estate bank account if you have not already, begin transferring or selling assets, pay estate debts and administration costs, and ultimately distribute to beneficiaries once all liabilities are settled.
Keep a clear record of every step: what assets were held, what was sold or transferred, to whom, and when. Beneficiaries are entitled to a copy of the estate accounts, and you as executor are personally responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the administration.
Platform tools
- Document vaultStore the will, power of attorney, advance care directive, and other important documents securely in your account. Available to members.
- Your checklistEvery task across all five stages of the journey, gathered in one place so nothing is forgotten.
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Pierre started 18December after his partner Mark was given a terminal diagnosis, when they mapped out everything that needed to happen at the kitchen table. He reviews the guides to keep them honest, plain, and genuinely useful. About 18December
Last updated 13 September 2026
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