Searching for a Will
The Australian Will Register™ is a national Will and Enduring Power of Attorney Register and Will and Enduring Power of Attorney Search service. The Australian Will Register™ is an invaluable resource that can be used by the public, legal profession, law firms, Government agencies, charities, and other associated sectors and organisations to Register and Search for Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney.
Who needs to search the Australian Will Register™
A Will expresses your wishes for the distribution of your assets after you have died. It cannot be changed after you have died except by a court and there have been many occasions where a Court has changed the Will on the request of persons entitled under the Will or by Law.
Regularly updating your Will may avoid disputes and your wishes being changed through Court action.
The Australian Will Register™ securly stores your Will and other important documents (e.g. enduring power of attorney or insurance policy). You can search your Will or other documents as a registered user of the Australian Will Register™.
When consulted by a client who has recently lost a loved one and they are seeking to find the most recent Will of the deceased, you will have a resource at hand to search for the last Will. This helps your client avoid issues arising later in the process of distributing an estate after probate. It is important that your client identify whether a Will exists and who holds the most up-to-date version before any work is undertaken.
As an Executor or Administrator, you have the legal authority, responsibility and duty to distribute the deceased’s estate correctly and could be held financially responsible for any mistakes made through any breach of duty.
To help avoid issues arising later in the process of distributing an estate during probate, it is important to identify whether a Will exists and who holds the most up-to-date version before any work is undertaken.
It is recommended that to help confirm the existence of a Will or to prove the Will you hold is the most recent Will that an executor needs to search for any later Will made by the deceased.
A search of the Australian Will Register™ is one way to verify that yours is the latest Will and acts as proof that reasonable steps were taken to search for a Will or later Will before proceeding with distribution of the estate.
When consulted by a client who has recently lost a loved one and they are seeking information regarding the most recent Will of the deceased, you will have a resource at hand to search for the last Will. This helps you guide the client and avoid issues arising later in the process of distributing an estate after probate.
Search Pricing
| Search of the Australian Will Register™ | $27.50 |
| Start Will Search |
What Happens Next?
- Entering your data into the search request should take around 5 minutes to complete
- The Australian Will Register™ will acknowledge your enquiry and email you a receipt which not only evidences that you have requested a search but is evidence of the expense for a claim back from the estate.
- If a party notified of your enquiry holds a Will that party (solicitor, Professional Body, Public Trustee or Trust Company) can be expected to contact you directly regarding the Will they hold
- A lost Will search usually brings a response sometime between 5 and 10 business days but may take up to 28 days on some occasions. The Australian Will Register™ will provide you with a report once the search is completed.
What Outcome May Be Achieved?
The Australian Will Register™ does more than search our register for Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorneys because we search for Wills kept by solicitors Professional Bodies, Public Trustees and Trust Companies across the country. In addition, if you are searching for a lost Will a notification is placed on the Lost Will Notice Board which may be accessed daily by solicitors, Trustees and Trust Companies.
Need Help?
Email: [email protected]