Someone has died. We’ll help you sort their estate.
Probate. Letters of administration. Executor duties. These aren’t self-service tasks — they’re legal work that has to be filed with the High Court of New Zealand. Ross Holmes Virtual Lawyers handle this for you.
What estate administration actually involves
The legal work that has to happen between someone’s death and their estate being properly distributed.
When someone dies, their assets don’t automatically pass to whoever inherits them. The estate has to be administered — debts paid, taxes settled, assets identified and valued, beneficiaries notified, and the remaining property formally transferred. In most cases this involves a court process.
If there’s a will, the executor named in the will applies to the High Court for probate — a court order confirming the will is valid and giving the executor authority to deal with the estate. If there’s no will, a close family member applies for letters of administration, and the estate is distributed under the Administration Act 1969 rather than according to the deceased’s wishes.
The executor or administrator then has to gather the assets, pay any debts and taxes, deal with KiwiSaver and life insurance claims, transfer property titles through Land Information New Zealand, settle disputes if any beneficiary contests the will, file final tax returns, and account to the beneficiaries before distributing what’s left. A typical estate takes six to twelve months; complicated ones can take longer.
Throughout this process, the estate’s funds must be held in a regulated trust account — not a personal bank account — and every transaction must be properly documented. This is why estate administration is law firm work, not template work.
Two pathways — depending on whether there’s a will
Both lead to Ross Holmes Virtual Lawyers Limited, who will guide you through the process from beginning to end.
Probate
The executor named in the will applies to the High Court for a grant of probate — a court order confirming the will is valid and giving them authority to administer the estate. Ross Holmes prepares the application, the supporting affidavits, and handles the High Court filing.
Visit Ross Holmes Lawyers Pathway 2 · There is no willLetters of administration
Without a will, a close family member applies to the High Court for letters of administration. The estate is then distributed under the Administration Act 1969 — not necessarily as the deceased would have wished. Ross Holmes prepares the application and handles the court process.
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Why this isn’t self-service on DYOdocs
DYOdocs is a self-service platform for documents you can prepare and sign yourself — wills, EPAs, healthcare directives, business documents. Estate administration is different. It involves court applications, statutory notices to creditors, regulated trust accounting, and dealings with Inland Revenue, banks, KiwiSaver providers, and Land Information New Zealand — work that legally must be done through a law firm.
That’s why this page hands you straight to Ross Holmes Virtual Lawyers Limited. They are the law firm DYOdocs is part of, and they will handle the whole estate administration for you — not just produce a template.
Ready to start the conversation?
Ross Holmes Virtual Lawyers Limited will guide you through the estate administration process from beginning to end.
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