Responding to the 2024 probate fee reforms in Victoria
In November 2024, the implementation of the Supreme Court (Fees) Amendment Regulations 2024 introduced significant updates to how probate fees are calculated and managed in Victoria. These included new charges based on estate value, as well as updated rules for re-advertising and amended originating motions.
This legislative reform triggered a non-negotiable technical deadline for the Supreme Court of Victoria (SCV). Their legacy Probate Advertisement system needed to be replaced such that the process of probate advertisement is incorporated into the existing probate system’s user flows. This required significant changes to the existing probate system so that the new requirements could be met. Phase one of the Probate Systems Upgrade Project (PSUP) needed to go live before or on the same day the regulations came into effect: 18 November 2024.
The challenge
Driving innovation within a complex environment
In June 2024, SCV appointed Portable as its delivery partner to commence the upgrade. Our brief was clear: replace the legacy Probate Online Advertising System to ensure it could support any future changes to fees, while navigating a legacy system that couldn’t be paused or disrupted.
The scope of the project included:
- Delivering a new Probate Online Advertising System (POAS) in RedCrest-Probate.
- Implementing a new fee model reflecting the revised legislation.
- Replacing the existing payment gateway PayPal with Westpac QuickStream.
- Enhancing RedCrest-Probate, SCV’s core digital lodgement platform used by staff, legal professionals, and the public across Victoria, to deliver a better user experience, additional features, and more efficient workflows.
Working within a tightly constrained legacy environment required balancing transformation with business continuity. The probate system is uniquely procedural and highly regulated. Designing around its constraints meant deep engagement with internal SCV teams, careful consideration of technical dependencies, and sensitivity to real-world legal workflows.
Our approach
A collaborative and phased approach to delivery
Portable delivered the Probate Systems Upgrade Project (PSUP) through a coordinated series of upgrades, including a new online advertising system, a refreshed fee model, payment gateway replacement, and targeted improvements to the RedCrest-Probate platform.
Given the complexity of the environment and the immovable legislative deadline, we applied a structured delivery approach that combined the discipline of waterfall with the responsiveness of agile methods. Each major delivery was decided based on the overall business value. Introducing Advertisements, replacing payment gateway, security uplift, and enhancements to various parts of the system were planned for and delivered to the business in phases. This helped us manage dependencies, maintain momentum, and respond to emerging risks without compromising stability.
Key to the project’s success was our close collaboration with SCV’s internal delivery teams. Working side-by-side allowed us to align on priorities, surface edge cases early, and maintain quality at every stage from requirements through to release.
With this approach the Portable team not only ensured a strong technical delivery but more importantly built knowledge of the various legal workflows and complex rules that govern them. This way, the Portable team was able to build a strong and long-term partnership with the Supreme Court of Victoria team.
The outcomes
From compliance to long-term impact
The PSUP modernisation successfully laid the groundwork for more efficient, secure, and user-friendly probate services. Specific outcomes include:
- Reduced technical debt through updates to the dependencies.
- Improved security posture via proposed mitigation of known vulnerabilities.
- Smoother operational workflows for both Supreme Court staff and external users.
The success of this project delivered more than just technical compliance. It laid the groundwork for a more responsive system; one designed to meet the real-world needs of court staff, legal professionals, and all Victorians.
It also showcases how justice systems can be enhanced under constraints, reinforcing the value of collaboration, hybrid implementation, and deep system stewardship. The project also enabled a deeper relationship between Portable and SCV, built on trust, transparency, and a shared commitment to public value.
Portable has experience delivering modern, scalable solutions within complex justice environments, including projects like Legal Aid NSW’s Grants Tracker and the Federal Court’s digital portal strategy. PSUP continued that pattern, supporting the sector through tight timelines, legacy systems, complex workflows, and shifting legislative requirements.
Portable continues to work alongside the Supreme Court of Victoria and Court Services Victoria to support the probate system and uphold our shared commitment to accessible, efficient, and future-ready legal services. Due to the confidence Court Services Victoria now has, the Portable team now also supports the RedCrest-Search system that enables users to perform litigation and court file searches of Supreme Court of Victoria proceedings through a secure process.
From the team
Supreme Court of Victoria:
"The Court is committed to continual improvement of our online systems, and working with Portable towards this goal was a seamless experience. Their team demonstrated professionalism, responsiveness, and a genuine commitment to understanding the needs of our users."
Kate Price, Registrar of Probates
"I enjoyed how invested the Portable team members were in achieving our goals. The Portable team would often provide suggestions which we had not considered that resulted in a better experience for our users."
Stuart Gilbertson, Senior Probate Examiner (Legal)
Portable:
"One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was the close collaboration with the SCV’s subject matter experts. Working side-by-side with them was crucial in finalising requirements and ensuring our development truly met their complex needs and workflows."
Divya Puttamanapalli, Senior Developer
"As a developer, the PSUP project was incredibly engaging. Navigating the complexities of a legacy system presented numerous technical puzzles, and the constant need for innovative problem-solving kept the work consistently interesting and rewarding."
Adil Khan, Senior Developer
Team
- Nicole Goodfellow, Senior Producer
- Faiq Gazdhar, Technical Lead
- Divya Puthumanappully, Senior Developer
- Adil Khan, Senior Developer
- Jimit Rajni, Senior Developer
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