In the Supreme Court of Queensland case Re Sleeman (dec’d) [2024] QSC 274, the court addressed an application by Paul Joseph Sleeman for letters of administration of a copy of the will of his late brother, Brian Peter Sleeman. The original will, dated May 16, 2007, could not be found after Brian's death, and the named executors had renounced their roles. Paul Sleeman sought administration based on a copy of the will, originally drafted by solicitor Robert Maggs, who had returned the original document to the deceased. The court evaluated the evidence, including the presumption that the will wasn't destroyed by the deceased with intent to revoke it. It concluded that due to the disorganized state of Brian's life and living conditions, it was more probable that the will was lost. Consequently, the court granted letters of administration to Paul Sleeman, thereby empowering him to manage the deceased's estate according to the terms of the lost will's copy.
Full text: https://www.sclqld.org.au/caselaw/150364