What to Do When Someone Dies in Australia: First Steps

Nobody is expected to do all of this at once. This checklist follows the order things usually happen in Australia. It is general information, not legal advice, and some rules differ between states and territories.

In the first 24 to 48 hours

• Get the death certified. If the death was expected at home, call the GP or the palliative care team. If it was unexpected, call 000.
• Tell close family and friends.
• Arrange care for dependants and pets.
• Contact a funeral director. Check for written wishes first, and whether there is a prepaid funeral or funeral insurance. They are different products.
• Find the will. Look for the signed original.

In the first week

• Get the medical certificate of cause of death. A doctor completes it, unless the death must be reported to the coroner.
• Register the death. The funeral director usually lodges the registration with the state or territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages and can order the death certificate.
• Use the Australian Death Notification Service. Once the death is registered, this free online service lets you notify several banks, telcos and other organisations at once.
• Tell the employer, and ask about final pay, leave and super.

In the first month

• Tell Services Australia. One notification covers Centrelink and Medicare. A surviving partner may get a bereavement payment, usually where both partners were getting a pension or payment.
• Contact super funds and life insurers. Super does not automatically follow the will: the fund's trustee decides who receives it unless there is a valid binding nomination. Many funds also include life insurance.
• Find out whether probate is needed. Small amounts are sometimes released without it. Otherwise the executor applies to the state or territory Supreme Court (letters of administration if there is no will).
• Tell the ATO about the death. The executor may need to lodge a final tax return to the date of death.
• Redirect the mail to the executor through Australia Post.

Within the year

• Lodge any outstanding tax returns, and ask whether the estate needs its own trust tax return.
• Pay debts from the estate first. Family members usually do not have to pay a relative's debts from their own money unless the debt was joint or they guaranteed it. The free National Debt Helpline (1800 007 007) can help.
• Ask a lawyer when it is safe to distribute. Family members can contest a will within time limits that vary by state.
• Keep a record of every payment and decision made for the estate.

Sources

• Australian Death Notification Service
• healthdirect: Preparing for a death at home
• ATO: Deceased estates
• MoneySmart: Who gets your super if you die
• MoneySmart: Paying for your funeral
• National Debt Helpline

Last reviewed 2026-10-31. General information, not legal, tax, financial or medical advice.