Inheritance disputes in Australia are rising sharply, with new data from the New South Wales Supreme Court showing a 40% increase in succession and probate filings from 2021 to 2025. Court-annexed mediations in these cases surged from 104 to 735 over the same period, reflecting growing tensions as the nation's 'great wealth transfer' accelerates.
The silent generation and baby boomers hold $5.4 trillion in assets set to pass to descendants over the next 20 years. With high property prices and deepening inequality, inheritances have become critical for financial security. According to JBWere, the average inheritance in Australia is $706,806, often received between ages 55 and 59.
Legal experts point to 'inheritance impatience' as a key driver of disputes. Adeline Schiralli, a wills and estates specialist, says conflicts arise even over small estates, driven by individual circumstances rather than asset size. Mary-Ann de Mestre, a succession law expert, describes a 'perfect storm' of ageing population, complex family structures, and cost-of-living pressures.
Blended families and remarriages are testing traditional notions of dependence and lineage. Cases involving dementia and contested wills questioning the testator's cognition are also on the rise. Technology adds new complications, with text messages and digital notes being submitted as evidence of intent.
One woman, Charlotte, discovered after her father's death that he had changed his will to leave everything to one sibling. She and two others contested, but mediation failed. They settled out of court, dividing a minority share, and have not spoken to the favoured sibling since. Charlotte, divorced and without property, struggles to reconcile her relationship with her late father.
Prue Vines, a law professor at UNSW, notes that while most estates pass smoothly, the cases that reach court are often 'horrendous.' She says rising house prices and inequality have raised the stakes, turning inheritance into a survival issue for some. Charlotte reflects, 'We've set up a society whereby money matters so much, a house matters so much, that you can't see others' needs.'
