PA Law Articles · Probate and deceased estates
By Manal Amro, Principal Solicitor, PA Law Pty Ltd
Last updated: 15 October 2026
An executor can find missing estate assets by reviewing financial records, contacting relevant institutions, searching official unclaimed-money registers and requesting available ATO information once authorised. No single search identifies everything. Keep a written record of the enquiries made, the responses received and any outstanding questions.
When someone dies, their family may know about their home and everyday bank account but have little information about other financial interests. Old savings accounts, shares, insurance policies and superannuation can be harder to locate.
If you are administering a deceased estate in South Australia, a structured search can help you understand what the person owned, what they owed and what needs further investigation.
For a short introduction, watch PA Law’s video on finding missing assets and read the transcript.
Watch: how an executor can find missing assets
Why must an executor find missing estate assets?
An executor’s responsibilities include collecting estate assets, paying debts and distributing the estate according to the will. Understanding the deceased person’s financial position is an essential part of that work. See the Legal Services Commission of South Australia’s guidance on executors’ duties.
The will is a starting point, but it may not contain a complete or current asset list. Someone may have opened accounts, sold investments or changed superannuation funds after making it.
To find missing estate assets, start by preparing a working schedule of assets and liabilities. Separate confirmed information from possible leads, and update the schedule as institutions respond.
1. Start with the deceased person’s financial records
Review documents you are lawfully entitled to access, including bank statements, tax records, correspondence, insurance policies and investment statements.
Look beyond account balances. Transactions can reveal financial interests for which no other paperwork is available.
| Record or clue | What it may help identify |
|---|---|
| Bank statements | Transfers to other accounts, investment payments and loan repayments |
| Tax returns and accountant correspondence | Interest income, dividends, rental income and business interests |
| Dividend or holding statements | Shares, investment holdings and the relevant share registry |
| Insurance premium payments | An insurer or policy requiring further enquiries |
| Superannuation statements and employment records | Funds the deceased may have contributed to |
| Rates notices and loan statements | Property interests and associated liabilities |
For example: a bank statement may show a dividend payment even though no shareholding documents can be found. That payment provides a lead to investigate; it does not establish the current holding or its value.
Ask family members whether they know which accountant, financial adviser, broker or institutions the deceased used. Treat recollections as leads to confirm against records.
2. Contact banks, share registries and other institutions
Once you identify an institution, contact its deceased-estates or bereavement team through its official website or verified telephone number.
Depending on the estate, enquiries may involve:
- Banks, credit unions and building societies.
- Share registries, stockbrokers and investment platforms.
- Superannuation funds and life insurers.
- Accountants and financial advisers.
- Organisations connected with business interests or money owed to the deceased.
Ask what documents the institution requires before it can disclose information or release funds. Requirements may include identification, a death certificate, the will and a grant of probate or letters of administration.
Request the information needed for the estate administration, such as ownership details, the date-of-death balance or holding, relevant liabilities and the institution’s next steps.
Finding an account and establishing authority to deal with it are separate steps. Do not assume that access to paperwork or knowledge of a password authorises you to operate the deceased person’s account.
3. Search official unclaimed-money registers
Official unclaimed-money searches can help you find missing estate assets that have become disconnected from their owner.
ASIC’s Moneysmart unclaimed-money search covers certain unclaimed money associated with bank accounts, shares, investments and life insurance. The government search service is free. It does not search every account or every institution’s records.
South Australia’s Department of Treasury and Finance maintains a separate register covering categories such as unclaimed refunds, wages, deceased-estate money and certain dividends. Other state or territory registers may also be relevant where the deceased lived or held financial interests elsewhere.
Search using relevant names and previous addresses where the register allows. Keep the result and any reference number for follow-up.
A matching name does not establish that the money belongs to the estate. You will need evidence connecting the deceased to the record and establishing the claimant’s entitlement.
You can begin with the official Moneysmart search and South Australian unclaimed-money information. Moneysmart also links to other state and territory registers.
4. Consider requesting an ATO deceased-estate data package
An ATO deceased-estate data package can provide tax and superannuation information held by the Australian Taxation Office.
The ATO says an authorised legal personal representative, or their nominated representative, can receive this package. Its recognition and evidence requirements must be satisfied; being named in a will should not be treated as confirmation that the ATO has already authorised access.
The information may provide leads for further enquiries about the deceased’s financial affairs. Check those leads with the relevant institution.
The package is not a complete inventory of estate assets. It does not replace enquiries about current balances, ownership, liabilities or assets that are absent from the ATO’s records.
See the ATO’s guidance on accessing a deceased person’s tax and super information.
5. Investigate superannuation separately
Locating superannuation does not automatically mean it is available for distribution under the will.
Superannuation generally sits outside the estate unless the death benefit is paid to the deceased’s legal personal representative. Relevant nominations, fund rules and legal requirements affect who receives it. A death benefit may also include life insurance held through the fund. Read Moneysmart’s explanation of who gets your super when you die.
Contact each identified fund about its death-benefit process. Ask about the deceased’s membership, potential insurance benefits, required documents and relevant nominations.
Likewise, check ownership carefully where an apparent asset involves a joint account, company or trust. The deceased’s connection with an asset does not necessarily mean the estate owns it outright.
Our guide to joint bank accounts and wills in South Australia explains why ownership arrangements matter.
6. Keep an estate asset-search record
A search is easier to manage when every enquiry has a clear status.
For each possible asset, record:
- The document or information that first identified it.
- The organisation contacted and enquiry date.
- The information requested and documents supplied.
- The response, including any balance or ownership details.
- The follow-up required and who will complete it.
Keep copies of correspondence and search results together. Your record of efforts to find missing estate assets should include unsuccessful searches as well as successful ones.
An unexplained transfer, unanswered enquiry or uncertain ownership arrangement should remain visible on the working schedule until it has been addressed.
What if an asset is discovered after probate?
Finding another asset after a grant does not mean it can be dealt with without further steps.
South Australian guidance explains that additions or corrections to the statement of assets and liabilities can be disclosed through CourtSA. It also identifies restrictions on disposing of estate assets that have not been disclosed to the Court. Obtain advice about the necessary disclosure and administration steps before dealing with a newly discovered asset. See the Legal Services Commission’s guidance on disclosure of assets to the court.
Questions about how to find missing estate assets
Is there one database containing all of a deceased person’s assets?
No. Information is spread across financial institutions, government records and private documents. Unclaimed-money registers and ATO information are useful parts of a broader investigation.
How do I find a deceased parent’s bank accounts?
Start with available statements, tax records, correspondence and evidence of transfers between accounts. Make targeted enquiries with identified banks through their deceased-estates teams. Being the deceased’s child does not automatically establish authority to obtain confidential account information.
Can I start looking for assets before probate?
You can begin gathering available records and making enquiries. What an institution will disclose or release depends on its requirements and your authority. Ask what it needs at each stage rather than assuming all enquiries must wait until a grant is issued.
Does a failed unclaimed-money search mean there are no missing assets?
No. An account or investment may still be held by its original institution and never have reached an unclaimed-money register. Continue following relevant documentary leads.
Does the ATO data package replace contacting banks and super funds?
No. It can help identify leads, but the relevant institution still needs to confirm the information required for the estate or death-benefit process.
When should an executor seek legal help?
Consider assistance where ownership is unclear, records are incomplete, a grant is required, business or trust interests are involved, or an institution will not accept the evidence of authority supplied.
Help with probate and deceased estates in South Australia
PA Law assists executors and administrators in Gawler, Evanston South, Adelaide and across South Australia with probate and deceased-estate administration.
If you are unsure where to begin, bring the will, death certificate, available financial records and a list of unanswered questions. We can discuss the enquiries and legal steps appropriate to the estate.
Explore our probate and estate-administration services or contact PA Law to arrange an appointment.
Call 0431 614 696 or email manal@palaw.au.
This article provides general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. The appropriate searches, authority requirements and administration steps depend on the estate and the organisations involved.