**Ancillary Administration** (noun) — A secondary or supplementary grant of representation obtained in a jurisdiction other than where the primary grant was issued, typically required when a deceased person owned real property or certain other assets in multiple jurisdictions.
If someone dies owning property in different states, territories, or countries, their executor typically needs to obtain probate in each location. The first probate is the primary grant; additional grants in other jurisdictions are ancillary administrations.
This is a practical complication rather than a conceptual one—each jurisdiction wants its local court's authorization before allowing transfer of local assets.
⏱ When you'll encounter this term
In Australia, if you own property in multiple states—say, a home in Victoria and a holiday house in Queensland—your executor may need to obtain separate probate in each state. This adds time and expense to estate administration.
Some people try to simplify this by transferring all property into a trust structure or ensuring bank accounts are held jointly. However, these strategies have other implications that need careful consideration. If you own property across multiple jurisdictions, discuss with an estate planning professional whether restructuring might save your estate future complications.
**Related terms:** [Probate](/dictionary/probate), Resealing, Grant of Probate, [Real Property](/dictionary/real-property)
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"Mum lived in NSW but owned a holiday house in Queensland, so we needed ancillary administration in QLD as well as the main probate in NSW."