What is Letter of Administration & its Importance in Singapore?
Whenever you watch a
movie in which a person passes away, you’ll see a guy in a suit reading the
wishes of the deceased drafted as a will to certain audiences, usually family
members of the deceased. However, in reality, there are often situations
whereby a person passes on without leaving behind a will. In such cases, a Letter of Administration
needs to be applied.
What is a Letter of Administration?
A Letter of Administration
is a court order that grants a person, usually the next-of-kin, to be appointed
as an administrator to manage the distribution of the deceased’s estate.
All personal
administrators have to be 21 years old and above. In the event that one or more
beneficiaries of the property are under the mentioned age, the law requires that
at least two administrators be appointed. Under the Singapore law, infants and
bankrupts are not allowed to be appointed as administrators as well. The grant
will be made to their guardian if an infant is entitled to grant. When the
infant reaches the age of 16 years old, he or she may obtain a grant to gain
entitlement of the letter
of administration from the guardian.
The process of
applying for a letter of administration
is very complicated. A thorough check regarding any document which may state
the deceased’s intentions regarding the distribution of his estate has to be
conducted. Due to its complexity, it is highly recommended that you seek out
legal advice before applying for a letter of administration.