Who can search and claim
Anyone can search - the registers are public. Claiming is restricted to the executor named in the will, an administrator appointed by the court, or next of kin where the estate is small and no grant was required.
If the estate has already been distributed, newly found money still belongs to the estate and must be distributed under the will or the intestacy rules.
Where to look
Search MoneySmart for bank accounts and shares, the ATO for superannuation and any unclaimed death benefit, the state register where the person lived, and the public trustee in that state.
Search under every name and every former address you can establish. Records are frequently held against an address the person left decades ago.
What you'll need to claim
The death certificate, the will and grant of probate or letters of administration, your own identity documents, and evidence linking the deceased to the money.
Where no grant exists, some registers will release smaller amounts to next of kin with a statutory declaration. Thresholds vary between registers.
Superannuation is generally not part of the estate - it is paid to dependants or the estate under the fund's rules, so contact the fund directly.
Tip: Search under the deceased's former addresses as well as their name.
Common questions
Official sources
This guide is based on the official Australian registers and the bodies that administer them. Always search and claim through these sites directly - they are free.