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 page 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.
If the deceased has not left a valid will, the estate will be distributed in accordance with:
If you are entitled to a share of the deceased's estate, you are a beneficiary.
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 for non-Muslim estates generally has priority to apply for a grant of letters of administration.
Beneficiaries with lower priority may:
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. 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. 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 parents. |
Only parents | 100% divided equally by the number of parents. |
Only siblings and children of deceased siblings | 100% divided equally by the number of siblings. The children of a deceased sibling will inherit their parent's share. |
Only grandparents | 100% divided equally by the number of grandparents. |
Only aunts and uncles | 100% divided equally by the number of aunts and uncles. |
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 you apply for a grant, find out:
This is the process of filing an application for letters of administration for cases where all of the following applies:
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 further supporting documents
After filing the application, you will need to file the further supporting documents. If your submissions are in order, the court may grant the application without a hearing.
(If needed) Attend a hearing
You may need to attend court in some cases, for example if your documents are incomplete.
Issuance of the grant
After the court has approved your application and all relevant supporting documents including the Schedule of Assets, the court will issue the Grant of Letters of Administration. Grants are issued electronically. If required, you may also request a printed grant (a physical grant with an embossed court seal).
If the organisation holding the deceased's assets requires a certified true copy of the grant to deal with the assets, find out how to apply for a certified true copy.
File an application, if needed
If you are not satisfied with a decision made by the court, you may file an appeal.
Legislation associated with this topic includes: