Probate Costs in Queensland: Court Fees, Solicitor Costs & Executor Commission (2026)

Probate in Queensland costs a flat Supreme Court filing fee of $847.60 (the same whatever the estate is worth), plus roughly $161.70 to publish the required notice, certified-copy fees, and any solicitor fees. Most straightforward estates land between about $1,500 and $5,000 all-in. Proper probate and administration expenses are usually reimbursed from the estate, though an executor may need to fund some upfront.

General information only. This article explains Queensland probate costs in general terms and is not legal or financial advice. Court fees, publication charges and Queensland Revenue Office rules can change — confirm current figures with the Supreme Court of Queensland and the Queensland Law Reporter, or seek advice for your circumstances.

Quick Answer: What Does Probate Cost in Queensland?

The unavoidable government costs of a Queensland grant are fixed and modest: the $847.60 Supreme Court filing fee and the $161.70 fee to publish the notice of intention to apply. Court copy and certification fees also apply and are higher than most people expect. The variable costs are solicitor fees (if you use a lawyer), valuations, and any dispute costs. Unlike some other states, Queensland does not charge a filing fee that rises with the value of the estate — the court fee is the same for a $200,000 estate and a $2 million estate.

The Fixed Government Costs of a Grant

Two charges apply to almost every Queensland probate or letters of administration application, and both are set amounts rather than percentages of the estate.

The fee is the same whichever grant you need — see grant of probate vs letters of administration to work out which one applies.

Supreme Court filing fee — $847.60 (flat)

The Supreme Court of Queensland charges a single filing fee to lodge an application for a grant of probate or letters of administration. As at 10 July 2026 the fee is $847.60 (current for the 2026–27 financial year), and the same amount applies to resealing a foreign grant under the British Probates Act 1898 and to an order to administer under the Public Trustee Act 1978. Crucially, this fee is fixed: it does not scale with the size or value of the estate. Court fees are reviewed each year (they are set in fee units under the Uniform Civil Procedure (Fees) Regulation 2019), so confirm the figure on the Queensland Courts website before lodging. Fee reductions or waivers can apply in cases of financial hardship.

Notice of intention — $161.70

Before applying, an executor or administrator must publish a notice of intention to apply for the grant. In Queensland this notice is published in the Queensland Law Reporter (QLR), the publication approved under rule 599(2) of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999. The current advertising fee is $161.70 (GST inclusive) for a single standard notice. After the notice appears you must wait 14 days to allow any objections before filing the application in the registry.

Fee reductions for concession-card holders and hardship

A reduced filing fee may be available if you hold a qualifying concession card (such as a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card) or can show financial hardship. As at 10 July 2026 the reduced filing fee is $154.70 instead of $847.60. You apply to the registry using the court’s application for a reduction of fees, supported by a certified copy of the card or evidence of hardship. This can be a meaningful saving for smaller or lower-value estates, so it is worth checking eligibility before you lodge.

Certified copies of the grant — court copy and certification fees apply

Once the grant issues, you will usually need copies to send to banks, share registries and Titles Queensland so they will release or transfer assets. Court copy and certification fees are separate charges and are higher than many people expect: under the current Supreme Court fee schedule, certifying a copy of a filed document is $82.65, while a plain copy is charged per page (about $3.35 per page, capped at $86.95 for a first copy). Grants are now electronically sealed and can be downloaded from the Queensland Courts online portal, so ask your solicitor or the registry how many certified copies you genuinely need before ordering — check the current fee schedule, as these fees change each year.

Queensland Probate Cost Schedule (at a Glance)

Solicitor Fees for Probate and Estate Administration

For most estates the largest single cost is not the court fee but the solicitor fee — and that is also the cost with the widest range. Queensland has no compulsory fixed scale for probate work, so firms quote in one of three ways.

Where a trustee administers ongoing arrangements, their compensation can be another cost to factor in. See our article on trustee compensation in Queensland for how this is determined.

“Grant only” versus full administration

Before comparing quotes, check what the fee actually covers. A “probate” or “grant only” quote usually covers just preparing and filing the application for the grant — not the wider job of administering the estate. Full administration is a much larger scope: collecting and securing assets, paying debts and liabilities, lodging date-of-death and estate tax returns, transferring or selling property, communicating with beneficiaries, and distributing the estate. A low quote may simply be grant-only, so always compare on a like-for-like basis and confirm whether property transfers, conveyancing and tax or accounting work are included or billed separately.

Costs also rise if the registry raises a requisition — a query about the application — which is common where there is a damaged or informal will, a name discrepancy between documents, a missing witness affidavit, or a mismatch with the death certificate. Getting the paperwork right the first time keeps costs down.

Fixed fee

Many firms offer a fixed fee to obtain the grant for a straightforward, uncontested estate — commonly a few thousand dollars — covering the application, notice and correspondence with the registry. This gives certainty but usually stops at obtaining the grant; administering the estate afterwards (collecting assets, paying debts, distributing) is often quoted separately.

Before committing to professional fees, some executors weigh up whether DIY probate in Queensland is worth it for a simple, uncontested estate.

Percentage or scale fee

Some firms charge a percentage of the gross estate value for full administration. This can look simple but can become expensive for larger estates, so always ask what work the percentage actually covers and whether disbursements are extra.

Hourly rates

Complex estates — business interests, multiple properties, overseas assets or a dispute — are usually billed at hourly rates. Ask for a written costs agreement and an estimate up front, and ask to be told promptly if the estimate is likely to be exceeded.

How much do solicitors charge to administer an estate? As a rough guide, obtaining the grant alone for a simple estate is often in the low thousands, while full administration of an average estate commonly runs from a few thousand to well over $5,000 depending on complexity. Get the quote in writing and confirm whether the court fee, notice fee and copy fees are included or charged as disbursements on top.

Executor Commission: How Much Is an Executor Paid in Queensland?

A very common question — and a genuine estate cost — is whether the executor is paid, and how much. Strictly, executor commission is not a “probate” fee, but it comes out of the estate, so beneficiaries need to understand it.

The starting position is that an executor acts without payment unless the will authorises payment, all adult beneficiaries agree, or the court approves an amount. The power for the court to allow payment comes from section 68 of the Succession Act 1981 (Qld), which lets the court authorise “such remuneration or commission to the personal representative for his or her services … as it thinks fit”.

What percentage does an executor get?

There is no fixed statutory percentage. Section 68 uses the flexible test of what is just and reasonable, judged by the actual work done, the responsibility carried and the size and complexity of the estate. In practice, Queensland courts have long treated around 5% of the gross value of the estate as an upper guide rather than an entitlement, and awards are frequently well below that. Commission is often considered in parts — for the effort of collecting and preserving assets (on capital) and for income received during administration — but the overriding question is always what is just and reasonable for the work performed.

How commission is approved

An executor cannot simply help themselves. Commission must be authorised in one of three ways: the will expressly permits payment; all beneficiaries (who must be adults with legal capacity) consent to a specified amount; or the executor applies to the court under s 68 for an order. A professional executor such as a solicitor or trustee company will usually charge under a fee agreement instead of, or alongside, commission. Any commission is taxable income in the executor’s hands.

Bottom line: if you are a beneficiary worried about the executor taking a large cut, remember the executor needs the will’s authority, your agreement, or a court order — and the court’s yardstick under s 68 is what is genuinely just and reasonable, not an automatic percentage.

Additional and Optional Costs

Valuations and appraisals

Real property, businesses, shares, antiques or art may need formal valuations so the executor can account accurately, calculate any tax and distribute fairly. Professional valuations range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the asset.

Overseas assets and resealing

If the deceased held assets abroad, the estate may face a second set of costs — resealing a foreign grant in Queensland (again a $847.60 filing fee), or having a Queensland grant recognised overseas, plus translation or apostille costs. Cross-border estates commonly incur two sets of professional fees.

Disputes and caveats

If someone challenges the will’s validity or brings a family provision claim, costs can rise sharply. An otherwise simple estate can face tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees if the matter proceeds to negotiation or a hearing. Early legal advice usually reduces this risk.

Who Pays, and When?

Proper probate and administration expenses are usually paid from the estate rather than from the executor personally. In practice an executor often has to fund the filing fee and notice fee up front before estate accounts are accessible; they are then entitled to reimbursement from estate funds once assets are released. The reimbursement right is not unlimited, though — costs caused by an executor’s misconduct, unnecessary disputes or unreasonable steps may not be recoverable from the estate. Executors should keep receipts and clear records, because they must account to beneficiaries for what the estate has spent.

Because bills arrive before assets can be distributed, executors normally settle costs and debts first and hold back enough funds before making any interim distribution — distributing too early can leave the executor personally exposed.

Worked Examples

Simple estate, DIY-ish: A home held solely, one bank account and a share parcel. Filing fee $847.60 + notice $161.70 + a couple of certified copies (say ~$165) = roughly $1,175 in fixed costs, plus limited solicitor input if any. Total commonly under $2,500.

Average estate with a solicitor: Same asset mix but the executor engages a solicitor on a fixed fee to obtain the grant and assist with administration. Fixed government costs (~$1,175) plus solicitor fees of, say, $3,000–$4,500 = roughly $4,000–$5,600 all-in.

Complex or contested estate: Multiple properties, a business and a family provision claim. The fixed costs are unchanged, but hourly legal fees and possible commission can push total costs into the tens of thousands.

Is Probate Even Required?

The cheapest probate is the one you do not need. Not every estate requires a grant, and where none is needed the $847.60 filing fee and the notice fee fall away entirely. Whether a grant is required generally depends on what the deceased owned and how it was held.

A grant is often not required where assets pass outside the estate or where asset-holders are willing to release funds without one. Common examples include property held as joint tenants (which passes automatically to the surviving owner by survivorship), modest bank balances below an institution’s release threshold, and superannuation or life insurance paid directly to a nominated beneficiary. By contrast, a grant is usually needed for real property held solely by the deceased (or as tenants in common), larger bank or share holdings, and wherever an institution insists on a sealed grant before releasing assets.

Because each bank sets its own release threshold, it is worth asking each institution what it requires before assuming a grant is necessary. If you are unsure, our guides on what probate is and accessing a deceased estate’s bank accounts explain when a grant is and is not needed.

How to Reduce Probate Costs

• Get fixed-fee quotes. For a straightforward estate, a fixed fee to obtain the grant gives certainty and is often cheaper than hourly billing.
• Order the right number of certified copies once. Work out how many institutions need one before you order.
• Keep good records from day one. Organised accounts reduce solicitor time and the risk of disputes.
• Ask whether a grant is even required. As explained above, jointly held property and small balances may pass without a grant — avoiding the filing fee altogether.
• Address disputes early. The single biggest cost blow-out is litigation; early advice and communication with beneficiaries is the best prevention.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does probate cost in Queensland?
The fixed government costs are the $847.60 Supreme Court filing fee and the $161.70 notice fee, plus court copy and certification fees (certifying a copy is $82.65 under the current schedule). With solicitor fees, most straightforward estates total around $1,500 to $5,000.

Does the Queensland probate filing fee increase with the size of the estate?
No. The Supreme Court filing fee is a flat $847.60 regardless of the estate’s value. Larger estates may cost more only because they involve more solicitor time or valuations, not a higher court fee.

How much is an executor paid in Queensland?
An executor is unpaid unless the will allows payment, the beneficiaries agree, or the court approves commission under s 68 of the Succession Act 1981. Commission must be “just and reasonable”; around 5% of the gross estate is treated as an upper guide, and awards are often lower.

Are probate costs paid upfront or from the estate?
Ultimately from the estate. An executor may need to fund some fees initially and is then reimbursed once estate assets are accessible.

Can I reduce costs by doing probate myself?
DIY probate can save solicitor fees on simple estates, but mistakes can cause delays or personal liability. Weigh the saving against the risk.

Related Resources

• When is probate required in Queensland?
• Executor expenses: what can you claim in QLD?
• The role of beneficiaries: rights and responsibilities
• Inheritance rights in Queensland

Key Takeaways

• Queensland’s Supreme Court probate filing fee is a flat $847.60 — it does not rise with the estate’s value.
• The mandatory notice of intention costs $161.70 and triggers a 14-day wait before you can file.
• Court copy and certification fees also apply and are higher than most people expect.
• Solicitor fees are the main variable cost; get a written, fixed-fee quote where possible.
• Executor commission is not automatic — it needs the will’s authority, beneficiary consent, or a court order under s 68 Succession Act 1981. There is no statutory cap: awards are commonly in the 1–3% range, with about 5% sometimes cited as an upper guide rather than an entitlement.
• Proper probate and administration expenses are usually reimbursed from the estate, though an executor may need to pay some upfront; costs caused by misconduct or unreasonable steps may not be recoverable.