Practitioner applications for grants of administration

If you’re a self-represented applicant

If you’re representing yourself, you’ll need to lodge your application in person or by post at the Supreme Court registry in Brisbane, Cairns, Rockhampton, or Townsville.

Applications that can be lodged online

The wills and estates applications legal practitioners can lodge online include:

  • caveat
  • citation
  • letters of administration on intestacy
  • letters of administration with the will
  • probate
  • renunciation
  • request for exemplification
  • reseal of letters of administration
  • reseal of letters of administration with the will
  • reseal of probate
  • reseal of order to administer
  • revocation

Public Trustee applications

In addition to the applications listed above,  the Public Trustee can submit the following:

  • application for an order to administer
  • election.

Registry guidelines for lodging scanned wills

The Supreme Court of Queensland registry advises that when scanning the original will/codicil for the purpose of lodgement through the Online Services Portal (OSP) practitioners should:

  • Scan at 100% scale for A4 wills, and at 71% scale to reduce foolscap will kits to A4 size.
  • Scan in portrait format, not landscape format.
  • Accurately align the page/s of the original will or codicil onto the demarcated lines on the scanner, ensuring that no other content appears on the scanned copy other than the page being scanned
  • Ensure no streaks, lines, warping, overexposure or underexposure appear on the scanned copy.
  • Check that all clause numbering, signatures, dates and wording are clearly visible on the scanned copy.
  • Ensure all pages of the document have been scanned, with no duplication of pages.

More information

For the full list of wills and estates documents that legal practitioners can file electronically, see Principal Registrar (Supreme and District courts) – Amended approval 1 of 2025 (PDF, 201.4 KB).

Queensland Digital Identity

Queensland Digital Identity (QDI) has replaced QGov.

If you previously used a QGov digital identity to log in, you’ll now use QDI instead.

Start a new application

  1. Go to the Queensland Courts and Tribunals Online Services Portal.
  2. Click on the green ‘Login’ button. This will take you to the ‘Login to your account’ screen.
  3. Click on the green ‘Login with Digital ID’ button. This will take you to the ‘Login to continue’ screen.
  4. Login using either your Queensland Digital Identity (QDI) or MyID.

On the online services portal home page, click the ‘Wills and estates’ card or search for ‘wills and estates’ in the search bar.

This will take you to the ‘Wills and estates applications’ dashboard.

Click the green ‘Start new application’ button.

  1. Use the dropdown menu to select the type of application you want to start.
  2. Click the green ‘Start application’ button to proceed.

The application form includes the following pages:

Before you begin

Deceased details

Applicant details

Filing location

Upload files

Review and submit

What happens next

Flexible Navigation

Click ‘Save’ and/or ‘Continue’ to move to the next page in the application form.

You don’t need to complete the pages in order.

Use the progress bar on the left to skip forwards or backwards to any page at any time.

You don’t need to complete and submit your application in one session.

You can click ‘Continue’ to move between pages without saving, as your progress will carry over.

However, you must click the Save button at the bottom of the page before leaving the platform to ensure your changes are saved.

The progress bar on the left-hand side of the screen helps you track your progress through the form.

You can also use it to navigate between sections of the application form.

Progress bar colourWhat it means
BlueWhere you are in the form
Orange Not all fields on the page have been completed
GreenAll fields on a page have been completed
GreyYou haven't started the page

Every application starts with the ‘Before you begin’ page.

It outlines the information, steps, and mandatory documents (in PDF format) needed to complete your application.

There’s nothing to fill out on this page.

Simply click ‘Begin application’ when you’re ready to start.

On this page, input the following details about the deceased:

  • name
  • address
  • any aliases (other names they went by).

Legal representative details

Your details will be autofilled as the legal representative. Your street address should be used as it will be included in the grant, a PO Box is not acceptable.

If you’re completing the form on behalf of a colleague, click ‘Change representative’ and select their name.

You can only select someone from the same firm registered in the portal.

The email address that you have entered is the address used by the registry to contact you.

Applicant details

Enter the name and email address of the applicant(s).

The applicant is the person you’re acting on behalf of

The address will not be used for correspondence.

Email address for correspondence

  1. Start typing the email address for your firm—it should appear in the pop-up menu.
  2. If it doesn’t appear, click the ‘Enter it manually’ link and type in the full address.

Ensure the address is correct, as it is used by the registry for all correspondence and to send the grant.

Choose one of the following Supreme Court of Queensland locations to file your application:

  • Brisbane
  • Cairns
  • Rockhampton
  • Townsville.

Upload files page

1. Upload a file

  1. Click the ‘Click to upload’ link in the file upload box.
  2. Locate and select the file you want to upload.

Once selected, the file will appear in the upload box, and a new file upload box will appear below for additional uploads.

2. Upload additional supporting documents

If the document you want to upload isn’t listed, select ‘Other’ from the dropdown menu.

Files must be in PDF format and no larger than 20MB.

3. Ensure all required files are uploaded

Upload all mandatory files (based on your application type) and any additional supporting documents.

Removing a document

To remove a document, click the ‘X’ in the top-right corner of the file upload box.

Review and submit page

This page displays your application as far as you have completed it.

If there are incomplete fields, an error message will list the sections you have missed.

Click the links in the error message to go directly to the incomplete sections.

To make changes, click the ‘Edit’ link to return to the relevant page of the form.

You can return to the ‘Review and submit’ page anytime by clicking its link in the progress bar on the left-hand side of the screen.

When your application is complete, click the ‘Submit application’ button.

Note: You cannot make any further changes after submission.

When you’ve successfully submitted

1. Confirmation of submission

After submitting, the page will refresh, and you’ll see your application reference number.

2. What happens next

The page will provide details about:

  • how your application is reviewed
  • how your application is filed and assessed
  • when and how you will receive your grant.

3. Payment information

The portal does not currently accept payments.

When you have submitted your application, you can make payment directly to the Supreme Court of Queensland. An invoice for payment will not be sent to you.

When making payment, you will need to quote the Reference number and the deceased’s name.

For information on application fees, refer to the Supreme Court filing fees.

Your application lodgment reference number

Your application lodgment reference number ((REF-0000000) is not your court file number.

You can use your lodgment reference number as a reference with the court registry prior to your application being filed.

Your court file number

You will receive your court file number after the registry files your application.

The registry will email you the number, and it will also appear on your application in the ‘Wills and estates applications’ dashboard.

It always starts with ‘SE’ (e.g. SE-1311/24).

Wills and estates applications dashboard

The ‘Wills and estates applications’ dashboard is where you can view and manage all applications for your firm.

It lists applications in a table format, with the most recent at the top.

You can search, filter by status or location, and adjust table display options to find specific applications.

How to access the dashboard

To access the dashboard, click either:

  • ‘Wills and estates’ in the blue links to the left of your profile link, or
  • ‘Return to my applications dashboard’ button at the bottom of the page.
  • Steps to use the dashboard

All applications for your firm are listed in the table. The first column shows the ‘Application number’:

Draft applications display a reference number starting with REF (e.g. REF-0001524)

Once filed by the court, this changes to a court file number, starting with SE and ending with the year (e.g. SE01311/24).

Use the search bar, status filter, or location filter to reorder the table.

Adjust table display options at the bottom of the table as needed.

Use the ‘Actions’ column to manage applications (see below for details).

Status column

The ‘Status’ column shows the current stage of each application:

StatusDescription
DraftNot submitted
LodgedSubmitted and under review by the registry
FiledFiled by the registry after the filing is paid
AssessedAssessed by the registry
ReferredReferred to a Judge
Finalised A decision has been made and the application process is complete

Actions column

The ‘Actions’ column allows you to:

View applications: Click ‘View’ to open an application.

Edit drafts: Open draft applications to make changes.

Submit drafts: Complete and submit draft applications.

Delete drafts: Click the down arrow and select ‘Delete draft’ to remove a draft.

Additional notes

Applications do not expire or get removed from the system.

You can keep draft applications open indefinitely and review submitted applications at any time.

Notifications from the registry

You’ll receive email notifications from the registry at key stages of your application, including:

  • when your application has been lodged
  • when your application has been filed
  • when your grant has been issued.

Requisitions

A requisition is a formal request from the registry for additional information, clarification, or documents needed to process an application.

Requisitions will be sent to the email address of the legal representative nominated on the ‘Applicant details’ page.

How to download court-stamped documents

If your application is successful, the registry will email you the grant.  An access code will be included in the email to verify the grant through the Online Services Portal.

Click the link in the email to go to the ‘View proceeding’ page, where your application details are displayed.

Scroll to the ‘Documents’ section at the bottom of the page.

Click to download your court-stamped documents.

Probate searches

Looking for a specific probate?

Find out how to search for wills, probates, and administration records.