Apply for a grant of probate or letters of administration from $1,000

You have come to this page because there has been a death in your family or among your close circle of friends. First and foremost, our condolences. For purposes of this page, the person that has passed on will be referred to as the Deceased.

If the Deceased left any Property, bank account(s), insurance policy(s) or any other assets (“Assets”) in his/her name, these Assets will have to be passed on to the Deceased’s family or in accordance to the Deceased’s wishes in his/her Will.

In order to do so, you will have to approach a Lawyer to apply for the necessary Court document that empowers and authorizes either the next-of-kin, the person appointed in the Will or some other person allowed in Law to handle and take over the control of the Assets of the Deceased and to distribute the said Assets according to the Will or Law.

If the Deceased died with a Will, the Deceased would be considered a Testator. The Court Order that would be required to be obtained is a Grant of Probate. The person appointed in the Will to handle and take over the control of the Assets of the Deceased, in order to then carry out the intention of the Deceased as set out in the Will, is known as the Executor (or Executors, if more than one). The Executor would be the right person to apply for the Grant of Probate through a Law Firm.

If the Deceased died without a Will, the Deceased would be considered to have died as an Intestate. The Court Order that would be required to be obtained is the Grant of Letters of Administration. In such a case, the immediate next-of-kin or closest relative (with prior rights) would be able to apply for the Grant of Letters of Administration. This person or persons would be known as the Administrator or Administrators of the Estate.

If the said Executor (if there is a Will) or the immediate next-of-kin or closest relative of the Deceased (if there is no Will) does not want to apply or is unable to apply for the Grant of Probate or the Grant of Letters of Administration (respectively), the next closest relative may do so. In such a scenario, the Executor or the immediate next-of-kin or closest relative will need to sign a Renunciation and Consent document at your appointed Law Firm. If the said Executor or the immediate next-of-kin or closest relative refuses to sign the said document, a special application in Court to allow (or give leave to) the next closest relative to apply for the Grant of Probate or the Grant of Letters of Administration has to be made.

As for the distribution of the Assets, it would depend if the Deceased had a Will, in which event his/her Assets will have to be distributed according to the wishes of the Deceased as set out in the Will; or if there is no Will, in which event his/her Assets would have to be distributed according to Law and in this case according to the Intestate Succession Act (Chapter 146). The Assets of a Deceased will form his/her Estate.

We will provide a cost effective way to obtain the necessary Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration from Court. We have evolved a Scheme to make it efficient for you and for us to handle your matter; from taking instructions, to preparation of the Court documents to the fixing of appointment(s) with you.

Our cost under the scheme is S$1,000- onwards (excluding disbursements). This is for straight forward uncontested probate and letters of administration applications, where the assets are reasonable in quantity and value. The above does not include application for Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration for Deceased, who was a Muslim at the time of his/her demised.

Please feel free to contact us at +65 6323 2320 or email us at probate@dpllc.com.sg to fix the appointment(s). Or visit our website at https://dpllc.com.sg for more information.

"I was very pleased with the work that Mr Sunil has done for my father's estate. Everything was well explained and the details were taken care. Within a month, the probate case was officially closed."

Choo M.

Dhillon & Panoo LLC is a Singapore-based law firm specialising in criminal law and family law. With over 40 years of combined experience in the legal field, our directors are at the forefront of ensuring every client receives exceptional legal advice to solve even the most complex of issues. Our immense arsenal of experience, know-how and skills will ensure clients receive measurable solutions.

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