What is a Grant of Letters of Administration
A Grant of Letters of Administration legally recognises an applicant as the administrator of the deceased's estate. The appointed individual manages the deceased's property. This includes distributing the estate to the beneficiaries after payment of the deceased's debts and other expenses.
There are different types of applications for letters of administration. This website only covers the process for cases where the deceased did not leave a valid will and the applicant is a beneficiary entitled to a share of the estate.
If you wish to apply for other types of letters of administration, you may wish to seek legal advice.
If the deceased left a valid will appointing you as the executor to manage their estate, refer to Grant of Probate.
Who is a beneficiary
If the deceased has not left a valid will, the estate will be distributed in accordance with:
- (For non-Muslim estates) The Intestate Succession Act.
- (For Muslim estates) Muslim law.
If you are entitled to a share of the deceased's estate, you are a beneficiary.
Who has priority to apply
A beneficiary's priority to apply for a grant of letters of administration is usually determined by the size of their entitlement to the deceased's estate. Individuals with a larger entitlement have a higher priority. The spouse of the deceased generally has priority to apply for a grant of letters of administration.
Beneficiaries with lower priority may:
- Apply together with persons who have prior right.
- Make the application after obtaining the renunciation of the persons with prior right. Renunciation means to give up one's right to apply.
Refer to the following table to understand the division of non-Muslim estates (under the Intestate Succession Act).
Beneficiary who will inherit | Share of estate |
|---|---|
Only spouse | 100%. |
Spouse, with children and descendants of deceased children | Spouse: 50%. Children and descendants of deceased children: 50% divided equally by the number of children. Note: The descendants of a deceased child will inherit their parent's share. |
Children and descendants of deceased children (no spouse) | 100% divided equally by the number of children. Note: The descendants of a deceased child will inherit their parent's share. |
Spouse and parents (no children or descendants of deceased children) | Spouse: 50%. Parents: 50% divided equally by the number of people. |
Only parents | 100% divided equally by the number of people. |
Only siblings and children of deceased siblings | 100% divided equally by the number of siblings. Note: The children of a deceased sibling will inherit their parent's share. |
Only grandparents | 100% divided equally by the number of people. |
Only aunts and uncles | 100% divided equally by the number of people. |
None of the above | 100% to the government. |
Note: Children and descendants of deceased children include both legitimate children and children adopted through a court order made in Singapore, Malaysia or Brunei Darussalam. A legitimate child is born to parents who are married to each other (the marriage could have been either before or after the birth).
The distribution of Muslim estates will be in accordance with the Inheritance Certificate issued by the Syariah Court.
Before applying for a grant
Before you apply for a grant, find out:
- What assets there are.
- Some assets like money in the deceased's Central Provident Fund (CPF) account, immovable property held under a joint tenancy with no outstanding mortgage, and some insurance policies with nominations may be distributed without a grant.
- The value of the assets.
- If the estate is below $50,000 you may be able to apply for the Public Trustee to administer the estate if you satisfy certain criteria.
- If any foreign person is entitled to an estate or interest in residential property.
- If so, the estate or interest must be transferred to the beneficiaries or sold within 5 years from the date of death, as required under the Residential Property Act.
Apply for letters of administration step-by-step
This is the process of filing an application for letters of administration for cases where all of the following applies:
- The deceased did not leave a valid will.
- You are a beneficiary entitled to a share of the estate.
- You are at least 21 years old and do not lack mental capacity.
Note: For other types of letters of administration cases, you may wish to seek legal advice.
File an application for a Grant of Letters of Administration
Find out the documents you need to prepare and the steps to file for a Grant of Letters of Administration.
File the supporting documents
After filing the application, you will need to file the supporting documents. If your submissions are in order, the court may grant the application without a hearing.
(If needed) Attend a probate hearing
You may need to attend court in some cases, for example if your documents are incomplete.
Extract the grant
The court will issue the Grant of Letters of Administration. You will receive a notice from the court to extract the grant.
File an application, if needed
If you are not satisfied with a decision made by the court, you may file an appeal.
Resources
Refer to the Probate and Administration Toolkit (PDF, 1206 KB).
Legislation associated with this topic includes:
- The Probate and Administration Act.
- The Intestate Succession Act.
- The Administration of Muslim Law Act.
- The Legitimacy Act.
- The Family Justice Act.
- Part 14 of the Family Justice Rules on probate proceedings.
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