Upon the death of a person, called a deceased, the Personal Representativesi of the decesed will need to apply for a Grant of Probateⁱ (if there is a Willⁱ) or Grant of Letters of Administrationⁱ (in Intestacy) that will authorise them to deal with and distribute the deceased's assets.

The Court requires the following documents (not exhaustive) to be submitted for the initial application, namely:-

1. Originating Summons (Probatei);
2. Statement of Probate;
3. Administration Oaths by the Applicant;
4. original extract of the deceased's Death Certificate;
5. Caveatⁱ Search Certificate.

The following additional documents are required:-

1. the original Willⁱ;
2. where the Will is not written in English, a certified true translation by a person competent to translate;
3. renunciations by person(s) appointed Executor(s) under the Will but who do not wish to be the Executor(s), if any.

In simple cases, the following additional documents are required:-

1. Consent of the Co-Administratorⁱ, if any
2. Renunciation of the Beneficiariesⁱ having a prior right to apply for Letters of Administraton, if any

Domicileⁱ means the country where a person intends to make his permanent or ultimate home. It need not be his country of birth, his current place, his current nationality or the place he died in, and his Domicile status may change from time to time when his intentions changed.

When a person dies, it is important to determine his Domicile, as it is where the probate process is to be obtained in relation to the Deceasedⁱ's estate.

There are various factors which can determine a Deceased's Domicile, including:-

1. whether he has purchased any property in the country

• Read more

If the value of the Deceasedⁱ's assets is less than S$3 million, the application is made in the Subordinate Courts of the Republic of Singapore. The Supreme Court deals with applications for Grant of Probateⁱ and Letters of Administrationⁱ where the value of the deceased's estate exceeds S$3 million, as well as applications for the Resealingⁱ of Grants of Representation obtained in the Commonwealth Country or certain approved country/territory.

In theory, it is possible to make your own application for either a Grant of Probateⁱ or Letters of Administrationⁱ without the assistance of a Lawyer.

However, in practice, as the Grant of Probate and Letters of Administration entails legal procedures and issues, it is advisable to engage a Lawyer who is experienced in Probate matters to assist you.