A grant of Letters of Administration may be necessary where the deceased died without a will (known as intestate) and provides the administrator with the legal authority to administer the estate and call in and sell and distribute the estate assets in accordance with the rules of intestacy.
The process of obtaining Letters of Administration is not that dissimilar to the processes required for applying for probate of a will and Letters of Administration grant similar rights as would be granted to an Executor who obtains probate.
Similarly the duties of an administrator whom is responsible for the administration of the estate are similar to the role of an executor with the primary difference being to distribute the estate assets to those beneficially entitled in accordance with the rules of intestacy.
The administrator is responsible for the deceased’s property and for payment of all outstanding debts and taxes from the estate funds before distributing the net assets of the estate pursuant to the rules of intestacy.
For more information on the administration of an estate including apply for Letters of Administration and the rules of intestacy, please contact our estate administration team.