- 4.8 ⭐ 150+ Reviews
Out-of-Time Will Claims and Extensions on the Central Coast
Missed the 12-month deadline to contest a will? We assess urgent out-of-time applications fast and give you an honest read on your chances.
- Urgent assessment of out-of-time and extension applications
- Led by Tony Ryan, Master of Applied Law (Wills & Estates)
- Toukley and Erina offices, members of the NSW Law Society Professional Standards Scheme
Missed the Window? It's Not Automatically Over
Twelve months sounds like plenty of time until you’re the one living inside it. Grief slows people down. Families take time to talk. Sometimes nobody even knows there’s a deadline until it’s already gone.
The Supreme Court of NSW can grant permission to bring a claim after that window closes, but it isn’t automatic, and it isn’t quick to arrange once you decide to act. The court wants to know why the delay happened, and it wants to know now, not in six months.
We assess out-of-time applications fast because the assessment itself is time-sensitive. If there’s a case to be made, we want to be making it while it’s still practically possible.
Why Central Coast Families Bring
Us Out-of-Time Claims and Extensions
You’ll get a straight answer, fast. Some out-of-time applications are worth running and some aren’t, the estate may already be distributed, or the delay may be hard to explain to a court. We’ll tell you which situation you’re in at the first meeting, not after months of work.
Tony Ryan holds a Master of Applied Law in Wills and Estates and runs the firm’s estate litigation work directly. Because we also handle probate and estate administration for other clients, we understand how quickly an estate can move once someone dies, which is exactly the knowledge an out-of-time application depends on.
Other Central Coast solicitors refer contested estate work to Tony rather than run it in-house. That’s the clearest proof we can point to.
How We Assess an Out-of-Time Claims and Extensions Application
1. Get in touch
Call (02) 4397 1500 or book a time. Tell us roughly when the death occurred and when you first considered a claim — that gap is the first thing we need to understand.
2. First consultation
We work through the reason for the delay, what's happened to the estate since, and the underlying merits of the claim itself, and tell you honestly where you stand.
3. A clear plan and price
If there's a viable path, you get a realistic view of the extension application , what it involves, how it's likely to go, and what it will cost.
4. We get it done
We prepare and file the extension application and represent you through to a decision, moving as fast as the situation requires.
Out-of-Time Claims and Extensions Across the Central Coast
We advise on estate disputes from our Toukley and Erina offices, and meet by phone, Zoom or Teams where travel is difficult. Estate litigation matters, including out-of-time applications, are heard in the Supreme Court of NSW, and we act for Central Coast families and executors regardless of where the estate itself is being administered.
What Our Clients Say
Reviews from clients we’ve acted for across family, estate, property and business matters.
Out-of-Time Claims FAQs
Yes, in some circumstances — but it depends heavily on the reason for the delay and whether the estate has already been distributed. There’s no guarantee, which is why a quick assessment of your specific situation matters more than general timelines.
It becomes significantly harder to bring a claim once assets have been distributed to beneficiaries, though it isn’t automatically impossible. This is exactly the kind of case-specific question that needs a proper look at your circumstances rather than a general answer.
As soon as possible. Courts consistently treat delay itself as a factor against granting an extension, so the gap between realising you may be out of time and seeking advice can matter as much as the original 12 months.
An extension application itself requires the court’s permission, so yes — that first step is unavoidable. What happens after permission is granted (if it is) often still resolves through negotiation rather than a full contested hearing.
Talk to a Central Coast estate litigation lawyer before the window closes any further.
If you believe you may be out of time to bring a claim,
the first conversation will tell you whether it’s worth pursuing.