In South Australia, the law concerning wills is contained in the Succession Act 2023. This Act came into operation on 1 January 2025 and replaced the Wills Act 1936 (SA).

Many of the legal terms used in this topic are highlighted and explained in our list of Legal Terms.

Key terms include testator, executor and administrator.

A testator is a person with legal capacity who has made a will.

An executor is the person who is appointed in a will to carry out the wishes of the deceased and administer their estate.

An administrator is the person appointed by the court to deal with the estate of a person who dies without a valid will or an appointed executor.