In order for the nominated Executor to have any power to deal with the deceased estate, the Master of the High Court must authorize the Executor by issuing Letters of Executorship.
Letters of Executorship is therefore the most important document which the Executor needs to act on behalf of the estate.
For the nominated Executor to be authorized by the Master, the estate must be reported to the Master by submitting to the Master the Reporting Documents.
At Siyatec, the point of the Online Consultation is to prepare all the information and documents required to report the estate to the Master and obtain Letters of Executorship.
Letters of Executorship are usually issued by the Master 2 to 3 months after receiving the Reporting Documents.
A deceased estate refers to everything owned by a person who has passed away, including assets like houses, money, cars, policies, and pensions, as well as their debts and expenses (liabilities). When a person dies, their assets become part of the deceased estate and are frozen until an Executor is authorised by the Master of the High Court.
The Executor is the person authorised by the Master of the High Court to act on behalf of the estate and is responsible for winding up the estate. This person is typically the spouse, child, or parent of the deceased, as nominated in the deceased’s Will or by the close family if there is no Will.
The Master of the High Court is the office empowered by the Administration of Deceased Estates Act to ensure that the deceased estate is dealt with according to the proper process. The Master oversees the administration of the estate but does not administer it directly.
Letters of Executorship are documents issued by the Master of the High Court to authorise the nominated Executor to deal with the deceased estate. This document is essential for the Executor to act on behalf of the estate. Read more…
Yes, you need Letters of Executorship to administer a deceased estate. This document is issued by the Master of the High Court and grants the Executor the authority to act on behalf of the estate. Without these letters, the Executor cannot manage or distribute the estate’s assets and liabilities.