Executor checklist: the first 14 days (Australia)
If you have just become an executor, the list of things to do can feel endless. This checklist puts the early tasks in a sensible order. It is a way of getting organised, not a legal timetable.
Days 1 to 3: the essentials
- Locate the will. Find the original and note where it is. Do not staple, mark or remove anything attached to it. The courts ask for the original in an unmarked state.
- Get death certificates. You will usually need certified copies for several organisations. Keep a tally of how many you have given out and to whom. Services Australia suggests noting this on its “Who to notify” checklist.
- Look after immediate needs. Secure the home, look after pets and any perishable items, and check whether any pressing bills such as insurance or rent are due.
- Write down who you are. Keep a note of your name, contact details and your relationship to the person who has passed away. Organisations will ask for these.
Days 3 to 7: tell the main organisations
- Services Australia (Centrelink, Medicare, child support). The official page says you need to tell them within 28 days, by phone, an Advice of death form or a service centre visit.
- Use the Australian Death Notification Service. It is a free government service that lets you tell multiple organisations at once by answering some questions.
- Contact the ATO. If you do not yet have the documents, the ATO says you can phone its individuals enquiries line to let it know unofficially, and it will pause the person’s tax correspondence until you are ready. Official notification needs a death certificate, or a grant of probate or letters of administration.
- Banks and super funds. Tell each bank, credit union and super fund. Ask each what they need from you. A letter template helps; see our guide to the super fund notification letter.
- Information to include in letters. Services Australia lists: the person’s full name and any other names, date of birth, address, date of death, and the membership, client or account number, plus your own name, contact details and relationship.
Days 7 to 14: get organised
- Start a notification register. Record each organisation, the date you told them, how, who you spoke with, a reference number and what happens next.
- Make a list of assets and debts. Do not worry about perfect values yet. Note what exists and where the statements are. An asset register helps.
- Start a decision diary. A dated note of key decisions and why you made them. See an example.
- Close or secure online accounts. Services Australia reminds executors to close email, cloud storage, social media and payment accounts. Check what each provider’s policy requires first, and keep what you need for the estate’s records.
- Speak to a solicitor or the Public Trustee if you are unsure whether you need a grant of probate, or if the estate includes a business, a trust, property in several states, or a dispute. When you are ready, the steps for applying differ by state: read how to apply for probate in NSW, Victoria, WA or Queensland.
Keep records as you go
The most valuable habit is writing things down at the time: who, when, what they said and what happens next. Our free Starter Kit has a First 14 Days tab with these tasks and official links, and a notification register to fill in.
Common questions
Do I have to do all of this in 14 days?
No. Most items are not urgent. The 14-day framing is a way to get organised. The one time limit we can point to from an official page is that Services Australia asks to be told within 28 days. Confirm any other time limit for your state with the court or a solicitor.
Do I need a grant of probate before I start?
Not for the early steps. You can usually notify organisations and gather records first. Some institutions will ask for a grant before releasing assets, which is why asking each one what it needs is a good early step.
A First 14 Days checklist, a mini notification register, key contacts and a where-things-are locator in one spreadsheet.