The people responsible for overseeing the Executry Administration are called the Executors.  An Executor can be nominated through a Will or, in the absence of a Will, by the Court

When a person dies their estate (which includes the person's property, money and possessions) must be ingathered and distributed.  This is called 'administering the estate' or Executry Administration.

The first stage is to gather precise details of the deceased's assets and liabilities.  The next step is to prepare an inventory of the assets and liabilities, which inventory is then submitted to the Court in order to obtain Confirmation.  Thereafter, the Executor must settle any outstanding liabilities before distributing the deceased's estate in terms of their Will, or if there isn't one, in terms of the laws of intestacy.

Confirmation is a legal document issued by the Sheriff Court, also commonly known as probate.  It gives the Executor authority to uplift money and other property belonging to a deceased person from the holder (i.e. a bank) and to administer and distribute it.

Yes, if the Executor does not want to carry out their duties personally they can instruct a solicitor to act on their behalf.  This is often advisable, particularly in more complex estates.

The time taken to administer the estate varies and depends on the type and nature of the estate.  The general rule is that an estate should not be wound up in the first six months following the death.  However, more complex estates can take longer to deal with.

The cost of administering an estate again varies depending on the size and nature of the estate.  To ensure that a fair and reasonable fee is charged we arrange for our files to be independently assessed by a Law Accountant.

If the deceased died leaving a Will (testate) they will have nominated who they would like to benefit from their estate.  If the deceased died without leaving a Will (intestate), however, their estate will be distributed in terms of the laws of intestacy.