In Queensland, the Supreme Court holds certain documents related to deceased estates, but only those filed as part of an application for a grant of administration.
These documents include:
- applications for grants of probate or letters of administration (with or without the will)
- wills filed as part of an application.
(Once a will is filed with the court, it becomes a public document.)
You can view a document’s basic details online for free, but a fee applies if you wish to access or obtain a copy of the document.
What you can and can’t do
You can search for:
- applications for grants, including probate, letters of administration with the will, or letters of administration without a will (intestacy)
- wills filed as part of an application for probate or letters of administration with the will
- Caveats, renunciations, citations
- Applications for an order to administer, or election, filed by the Public Trustee of Queensland
- Applications for reseals of grants of administration.
We cannot:
- confirm whether a will is the most current version
- guarantee the validity of a will if probate or letters of administration have been applied for but not yet granted.
How to search
1. Start your search
Go to the Search for a wills and estates court document page on the Online Services Portal.
2. Enter search criteria
Use any of the following details to filter your search:
- court file number
- application type
- filing location or date or event date
- deceased’s given and family names (exact spelling required unless using wildcard)
- applicant’s given and family names (exact spelling required unless using wildcard)
Please note: you can use an asterisk [*] symbol as a wildcard to broaden your search results.
3. View search results
- Click ‘Search’ to see the results.
- If no results appear, refine your search criteria and try again.
Results will include brief details such as:
- court file number
- application name and type
- deceased’s name
- filing location and date
4. View full details
Click on a search result to see additional details, including:
- applicant name
- document types, filing dates, and descriptions.
You can only view document details here.
To access the actual documents, you must use the search and copy service (see below).
How to access documents
If you find the file you’re looking for, you can request a copy of the document by following these steps:
1. Take note of the file number
Record the file number from your search result.
2. Submit a request
- Visit the Search and copy court documents page on the Online Services Portal.
- Follow the instructions and click ‘Apply to search and copy’ to complete your application.
- Pay the search/retrieval and photocopying fees.
Electronic lodgment by practitioners
Legal practitioners can electronically lodge applications for grants of probate and letters of administration.
More information
