作者：Chunqiu Hu | 维多利亚州执业律师 | HWC Legal Melbourne 最后更新：2026年9月
这段时间最大的风险，往往不是”不懂”，而是”太急” Subtitle: The biggest risk in this period usually isn’t not knowing what to do — it’s moving too fast
📌核心提醒：家人去世后的头几周，先别急着分东西、卖房子、关账户、跟人许诺什么——先搞清楚有没有遗嘱、谁有权处理这些事，再动手。 Core point: in the first few weeks after a death, don’t rush to divide belongings, sell property, close accounts, or make promises to anyone — first work out whether there’s a will and who actually has the authority to act, then move forward.
一、最开始的几天：法律要求的事The first few days: what’s legally required
📅 5天内要去登记死亡 📅 Register the death within 5 days
维州要求在人去世后5天内完成死亡登记，这个时间比很多人想象的要短，通常是由医生或殡仪馆协助完成，但家属需要清楚这个时限的存在。 Victoria requires deaths to be registered within 5 days — shorter than many people expect. This is usually handled with the help of a doctor or funeral director, but families should be aware this deadline exists.
📄 多申请几份死亡证明 📄 Order several death certificates
建议一次性多申请几份正式死亡证明（每份约$42.90，建议申请8-10份），因为后面跟银行、政府部门、保险公司打交道，几乎每个机构都会单独要求一份原件或认证副本。 It’s worth ordering several official death certificates at once (around $42.90 each — 8 to 10 copies is a reasonable number), because nearly every bank, government agency, and insurer you deal with later will separately require an original or certified copy.
🔍 找遗嘱，但先别急着照着做 🔍 Look for the will — but don’t act on it yet
第一时间要做的是找到遗嘱原件（通常在家里的保险箱、银行保险柜，或者律师那里），但即便找到了，也不代表你现在就有权处理里面提到的财产——这一点很多人搞混，导致后面出问题。 The first task is locating the original will (often in a home safe, a bank safety deposit box, or with a lawyer) — but finding it doesn’t mean you’re now authorised to deal with the property it mentions. This is a common point of confusion that causes problems later.
二、头几周最容易犯的几个错误The most common mistakes in the first few weeks
🚫 错误一：太快把东西分掉 🚫 Mistake one: dividing belongings too quickly
家里的东西看起来是”私人物品”，但从法律角度，这些同样属于遗产的一部分，在没搞清楚谁有权处理遗产之前，就把值钱的东西分给亲戚朋友，可能会给自己（和整个遗产的处理）带来麻烦。 Items in the home may feel like “personal belongings”, but legally, they’re still part of the estate. Dividing valuable items among relatives and friends before it’s clear who has authority over the estate can create real problems — for you and for the estate administration.
🚫 错误二：急着卖房子或者关账户 🚫 Mistake two: rushing to sell the house or close accounts
同样的道理，房产处理、银行账户关闭这些动作，需要等到你正式拿到处理遗产的法律授权之后才能进行，提前做可能根本不被承认，还要重新走一遍流程。 The same applies to dealing with property or closing bank accounts — these need to wait until you’ve formally obtained legal authority to administer the estate. Acting early may simply not be recognised, and you could end up having to redo it properly later.
情绪激动的时候很容易顺口答应别人一些东西，但如果后面遗嘱里写的不一样，或者你根本没有权力做这个决定，这种口头承诺反而会制造家庭矛盾。 It’s easy to make verbal promises in an emotional moment, but if the will says otherwise — or you never had the authority to make that call — these promises can end up creating family conflict rather than avoiding it.
🚫 错误四：清理房子的时候太随意 🚫 Mistake four: clearing out the home too casually
清空家里的时候，抽屉柜子里可能藏着遗嘱本身、保单、房产证、股票凭证这些跟遗产处理直接相关的重要文件，这个过程本身在法律上也算一个”事件”，不是单纯的收拾打扫。 Clearing out a home may turn up the will itself, insurance policies, property titles, or share certificates tucked away in drawers and cupboards — all directly relevant to administering the estate. This process is, legally speaking, an “event” in its own right, not just tidying up.
三、到底谁有权处理遗产Who actually has the authority to deal with the estate
⚖️ 有遗嘱：执行人需要拿到”遗嘱认证”（Grant of Probate） ⚖️ With a will: the executor needs a Grant of Probate
如果遗嘱里指定了执行人（executor），这个人的权力来自遗嘱本身和死亡这个事实，但对于比较重大的事项（比如卖房、动用大额存款），通常还是需要向最高法院申请”遗嘱认证”，来正式证明自己的权力。 If the will names an executor, their authority technically arises from the will and the fact of death — but for significant matters (selling property, accessing large sums), a Grant of Probate from the Supreme Court is generally still required to formally prove that authority.
⚖️ 没有遗嘱：需要申请”遗产管理令” ⚖️ Without a will: a Grant of Letters of Administration is needed
如果没有有效遗嘱，需要申请Letters of Administration（遗产管理令）才能获得处理遗产的法律权力，这部分我们在之前的文章里详细讲过。 If there’s no valid will, a Grant of Letters of Administration is needed to obtain legal authority over the estate — we’ve covered this in detail in a previous article.
💰 不是所有遗产都要走这套流程 💰 Not every estate requires this process
如果遗产金额比较小（维州目前的”小额遗产”参考门槛大约是$113,000，具体每年会调整，以法院官网公布为准），部分机构可能允许凭死亡证明直接处理，不一定需要正式的法院授权。 If the estate is relatively small (Victoria’s current reference threshold for a “small estate” is around $113,000, adjusted annually — check the Court’s website for the current figure), some institutions may allow matters to proceed with just a death certificate, without requiring formal Court authorisation.
🏠 联名共有的资产，不算在遗产里 🏠 Jointly-owned assets aren’t part of the estate
如果房产或账户是以”联权共有”方式持有的，产权会自动转移给另一位共有人，不需要走遗嘱认证或遗产管理令这套流程。 If property or an account is held as “joint tenancy”, it automatically passes to the surviving co-owner — it doesn’t go through Probate or Letters of Administration at all.
四、维州特有的流程细节Process details specific to Victoria
💻 全程网上办理，不用去法院 💻 Everything is handled online — no need to attend court
维州通过RedCrest网上系统办理遗嘱认证和遗产管理令申请，把遗嘱、死亡证明、执行人宣誓书这些材料上传上去就行，不需要本人出庭。 Victoria processes Probate and Letters of Administration applications through the online RedCrest system — you upload the will, death certificate, and executor’s affidavit; there’s no need to physically attend court.
📢 递交申请前，要先公告14天 📢 A 14-day public notice before lodging
正式递交申请之前，需要先在法院指定的公告渠道发布”申请意向通知”，公告满14天之后才能正式递交申请。 Before formally lodging the application, a “Notice of Intention to Apply” must be published through the Court’s designated channel — you can only formally lodge the application 14 days after that.
⏳ 大概要等多久 ⏳ How long it typically takes
材料齐全、没有争议的情况下，大概4到8周能拿到结果，具体时间会因为案件复杂程度有所浮动。 For straightforward, undisputed cases with complete documentation, it typically takes around 4 to 8 weeks to receive a decision — the exact timing can vary depending on complexity.
🏛️ 如果觉得压力太大，还有个选项 🏛️ If it all feels overwhelming, there’s another option
维州有一家政府背景的信托机构（State Trustees），可以受托代为处理整个遗产的行政事务，费用从遗产中支付，如果家属自己处理起来觉得吃力，或者遗产比较复杂、有争议，这是一个可以考虑的选项。 Victoria has a government-backed trustee company (State Trustees) that can be engaged to administer the estate on the family’s behalf, with fees paid from the estate. If self-administering feels overwhelming, or the estate is complex or contested, this is worth considering.
五、我们的建议Our recommendations
✅ 先搞清楚”权力”，再动手做事 ✅ Establish who has authority before taking action
不管是分东西、动账户还是处理房产，第一步永远是先确认清楚谁有权做这件事，而不是先做了再说。 Whatever the task — dividing belongings, accessing accounts, dealing with property — the first step is always confirming who has the authority to do it, not acting first and sorting it out later.
✅ 重要文件先妥善保管 ✅ Keep important documents safe
遗嘱、保单、产权证明、银行对账单这些文件，找到之后要妥善保管，不要随手放在一边或者提前处理掉。 Once located, documents like the will, insurance policies, property titles, and bank statements should be kept safe — not set aside casually or dealt with prematurely.
✅ 遗产复杂或者家庭内部有分歧，尽早找律师 ✅ If the estate is complex or the family disagrees, get legal help early
尤其是涉及海外资产、生意股权、或者家庭成员之间对遗嘱内容有争议的情况，越早找专业人士介入，越能避免后面矛盾升级或者程序上的失误。 Especially where overseas assets, business interests, or disagreements among family members over the will’s terms are involved, bringing in a professional early makes it far easier to avoid escalating conflict or procedural mistakes later.
❓常见问题 FAQ
Q1：人去世后，家人能马上动用TA的银行账户吗？ Can family members access the deceased’s bank account right away? A：一般不能。银行通常要求先出示遗嘱认证或遗产管理令（小额账户部分机构可能酌情放宽），建议先联系银行确认具体要求。 Generally not. Banks typically require a Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration first (some institutions may make exceptions for small balances) — it’s worth contacting the bank to confirm their specific requirements.
Q2：找不到遗嘱怎么办？ What if the will can’t be found? A：可以先联系可能保管遗嘱的律师事务所、银行保险柜或家人熟悉的场所查找；如果确认没有有效遗嘱，需要按无遗嘱继承规则申请遗产管理令。 Try contacting law firms, bank safety deposit boxes, or other places the will might be kept. If it’s confirmed there’s no valid will, an application for Letters of Administration under the intestacy rules will be needed.
Q3：遗嘱认证在维州需要出庭吗？ Do I need to attend court for probate in Victoria? A：不需要。维州通过RedCrest网上系统全程办理，只需要上传相关材料。 No. Victoria handles the entire process online through the RedCrest system — you simply upload the required documents.
Q4：所有遗产都需要正式的遗嘱认证或遗产管理令吗？ Does every estate need formal Probate or Letters of Administration? A：不一定，如果遗产金额较小（目前参考门槛约$113,000，逐年调整），部分机构可能允许凭死亡证明直接处理。 Not necessarily — for smaller estates (currently around $113,000 as a reference threshold, adjusted annually), some institutions may allow matters to proceed with just a death certificate.
Q5：我自己处理不来，有其他选择吗？ What if I can’t manage it myself? A：可以考虑委托维州的政府背景信托机构（State Trustees）代为处理，费用从遗产中支付，也可以请律师协助你自己作为执行人/管理人来处理。 You could consider engaging Victoria’s government-backed State Trustees to administer the estate, with fees paid from the estate — or engage a lawyer to assist you in carrying out your role as executor or administrator.
如果你正在处理家人的遗产事务，不确定从哪里开始，或者担心自己漏掉了什么关键步骤，欢迎联系HWC Legal做详细评估，我们可以协助你理清整个流程。 If you’re dealing with a family member’s estate and aren’t sure where to start, or worried you might be missing a key step, contact HWC Legal for a detailed assessment — we can help you work through the whole process.
参考资料：Supreme Court of Victoria公开政策指引；Victoria Legal Aid公开资讯；BDM Victoria公开费用信息 Reference: Supreme Court of Victoria published policy guidance; Victoria Legal Aid published information; BDM Victoria published fee schedule
