Estate Funding - easing the burden via flexible funding options
Our mission is to make estate administration easier, fairer and less stressful.
How we help Executors and Beneficiaries:
- Fund legal work - assist with legal, filing and counsel fees, along with any professional disbursements (valuers, mediators etc).
- Cover immediate estate costs - such as reimbursement of funeral expenses, urgent creditor or tax obligations, property maintenance and insurances.
- Preserve and enhance estate assets - by engaging in necessary repairs, renovations and marketing costs to protect, enhance or realise an estate's value.
- Supporting beneficiaries - we provide an early release of inheritance.
Support when it matters most
For Beneficiaries - Access your inheritance early without waiting for lengthy probate or property sale processes to be finalised.
How It Works - flexible funding you can access fast.
Apply
The executor, their lawyer or a beneficiary completes a simple application form and provides supporting material.
Assess
After receiving the required information, we assess the estate's solvency and provide a response within a few business days.
Fund
The contract is provided for signature and approved funds are advanced as required.
Repay
The loan is repaid upon distribution of the estate's assets.
We support lawyers to enhance client service
By partnering with JustFund, lawyers are able to deliver a more client-centric service, reduce financial risk and improve working capital all whilst focusing on finalising the estate's affairs promptly.
Our funding solutions can help lawyers in a variety of ways:
- Facilitate prompt payment – improving cash flow for firms and free up internal resources.
- Fund pre-grant work – cover legal fees, counsel, and all disbursements immediately.
- Enhance client service - widen your client's options to help fund capital improvements or maintenance expenses.
- Protect third-party relationships – by ensuring valued relationships are paid on time.
- Reduce ethical conflicts – avoid risks that arise from carrying fees.
- Grow your practice - reduce pressure to defer fees and support more clients (including beneficiaries).
Frequently Asked Questions
Estates Funding is a service from JustFund that provides executors with access to funds secured against estate assets. This allows you to pay necessary costs during estate administration without using your own personal money or asking professionals (such as your lawyer) to wait for the estate’s assets to become liquid.
The executor or administrator of the estate, or their lawyer, can apply for the loan. Beneficiaries, in some circumstances, may also be able to apply.
The loan can be used for costs connected to probate and administration, such as funeral expenses, legal fees, valuations and court filing fees. It can also be used for maintenance of the estate such as property insurance or repairs, and even for legal fees incurred by executors to defend litigation claims. With beneficiary consent, it can also fund renovations, and sale preparations, or even early inheritance distributions.
The amount we lend depends on your specific circumstances and that of the estate, including the value of its assets and the costs involved in administration. We assess each case individually to ensure the funding is tailored and appropriate. Contact us to discuss how we can best assist you.
Yes. The loan can cover an executor’s legal costs in defending or mediating a family provision claim. It may, in some circumstances, be used by a plaintiff to run such a claim, but those are for limited circumstances – if this is you, please contact us to discuss further.
Yes. There are two ways this could happen. One option is for the executor to use part of the loan as an early release of your inheritance. The amount, plus interest, is later deducted from your final share of the distribution. The other option is that as beneficiary you apply individually for a loan against your pending inheritance.
No. There are no out-of-pocket monthly repayments. All interest and fees are added to the loan balance and repaid in full from the estate as part of the administration and distribution process.
The loan has an interest rate of 9.85% based on the total funds drawn calculated from the date of the first draw down, a one-time establishment fee of 3.8%, a $49 monthly fee, and a $690 security registration fee (if security is registered).
Once an application is submitted, and the estate’s solvency is assessed, loans can be approved within a few days and invoices paid within 24 hours of approval.
The loan is repaid directly from the estate’s assets along with all other liabilities that are paid
as part of the administration of the estate. Funds will flow from the estate assets via your
lawyer’s trust account, and your law firm will ensure repayment of the loan on your behalf.
Not necessarily. The use of the loan is for expenses and costs that need to be incurred
regardless of whether the executor takes out the loan or not, so any additional cost to the estate
would be limited to just the interest and fees. However, in many cases, timely access to funds
can actually preserve or increase the estate’s value by preventing urgent losses or for improving
property to increase the sale price and the final share to beneficiaries.
No. The loan is only for estate-related expenses. It cannot be used for an executor’s private debts or unrelated costs.
If the estate cannot cover its debts, funding may not be approved. JustFund assesses
solvency upfront to ensure the loan is responsible and repayable from estate assets.
Beneficiaries benefit from faster distribution, preservation of sentimental items and property,
potential increases in inheritance value through repairs or marketing costs prior to sale, and less
financial pressure during the process for all involved.
No it won’t – we may perform a soft credit check only which shows as a nil balance on your
report and does not impact on your score.
