What happens if you die without a will in NSW

If you die without a will in NSW, the law decides who gets what — not you.

There's a set formula in the legislation for dividing up everything you own. It might match what you would have chosen. It might not. Either way, you don't get a say, and neither does your family.

What it looks like in practice

Sorting out an estate with no will tends to be slower, more stressful and more expensive for the people you leave behind — right when they're least up for paperwork and legal processes. Someone has to apply to administer the estate, the formula gets applied, and questions that a will would have answered in one line can drag on.

And if you have no close family, your estate can end up with the state.

"It'll sort itself out" — will it?

That's the assumption that catches country people out. The house, the block, the ute, the super, the things with sentimental value — without a will, none of it goes where you point. It goes where the formula points.

If you have kids, a will is also where you record who you'd want to care for them. Without one, that question is left open too.

The fix takes about an hour

A proper will — drafted and checked by a qualified solicitor, not a DIY kit — sorts all of this. With Rural Wills it's done online for a fixed fee: $500 for a single will, $750 for a couples package. No trip to town, no surprise bill.

See how it works or get started today.

General information only — not legal advice. If your estate is complex (trusts, companies, farm succession), you may need more than a fixed-fee will, and we'll tell you so upfront.