LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION (WITHOUT A WILL)
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED:-
A. LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION (WITHOUT WILL)
Letters of Administration is a legal document issued by the Court, which allows the Administrator(s) to manage and distribute the deceased’s Assets
B.WHAT DOCUMENT NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED FOR THE ISSUANCE
Application letter for the issuance of Forms stating the name, address, phone number and email address of each administrator,
Photocopy of the means of identification of each Administrator- Driver’s License, International passport, National Identification card, or voter’s card;
Photocopy of the Death certificate of the Deceased or an Affidavit of Loss of Death certificate and Police Report;
A Passport photograph of the Deceased (2×2)
2 Passport Photograph of each Administrator (2×2)
Payment for the Forms (N2000)
C. TYPES OF LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION
Letters of Administration – The deceased died without leaving a Will (Died Intestate)
Letters of Administration with the Will annexed- The deceased left a Will but there is no executor available to apply for a grant of probate. For example, if the Will did not name an executor or the sole executor has died or is otherwise unwilling or unable to act.
Applying for Letters of Administration has been made easy by the introduction of the e-probate system by the Lagos State Judiciary, However you have to conduct a thorough search to locate any Will that may have been made by the deceased or any document that might set out the deceased’s intentions in relation to the distribution of their estate. It is advisable to seek legal advice before commencing an application to apply for a grant of Letters of Administration.
D. THE ADMINISTRATOR OF AN ESTATE
The administrator of an Estate is responsible for collecting the deceased’s assets, paying any debts and then distributing the assets to the beneficiaries. The reason that the court issues a grant is so that the administrator can take that grant to persons that currently have the assets of the Estate or that are debtors of the Estate (such as banks & Pension Administrators, stockbrokers, insurance companies etc) and require them to transfer the assets or monies to the administrator (or to such other persons as the Administrator may nominate).
If a deceased person owned assets in different states of Nigeria, it would be necessary to apply for a resealing of the original grant.
E. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ISSUE THE LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION
Four(4) to six (6) months.
email: info@elthonpartners.com
