What is Probate?
Will has been defined under Section 2(h) of the Indian Succession Act, 1925 as a “Legal declaration of the intention of a person regarding his property, which he desires to take effect after his death,”.
The Probate of the Will under the Indian Succession Act, 1925 decrees that probate is official proof of a Will. So, the court issues probate to the executors of the will, to authorize them with a seal of approval from the court. In case there are no executors of the will, the court shall issue only a simple Letter Of Administration. And the court shall not issue probate.
It is essentially an instrument through which a person disposes of his property. This takes place after the death of the testator, although it may be carried out before the death also sometimes.
Probate is a certified copy of the Will which acts as the official proof of Will. So, they issue it with a seal of the court which authorizes it. Probate grants legal character and assurance to the Will. So, it is is a legal process which validates the Will and facilitates the deceased individual to distribute his estate in a proper manner.
It can be applied within 7 days of the death of the testator and the entire process of approval takes about 6-9 month to complete. And this is the case if there are no objections to the Will if there are any objections; the process may take up to 2 years.
What is the Purpose of Probate?
Probate of a Will is not compulsory. Under many circumstances, it becomes unnecessary such as when assets are owned by individuals in joint names with their spouses, children or other people. In these cases, through the operation of law property directly passes to them.
However, probate is needed when the existing Will has a problem such as the situation when no beneficiary is named in the Will.
Is Probate necessary?
Whether it requires a grant of probate depends on the assets of the individual. It may require a grant when a person dies leaving assets in their own name, e.g. a house, bank account, a life insurance policy. Therefore, a grant is necessary in order to transfer the property into a beneficiary’s name or sell the property.
4 Simple Steps to Probate
- The first step is applying with the district judge through a probate petition. The applicant shall sign and verify the Probate petition. The applicant shall file the petition in accordance with the appropriate format as given in the CPC 1908. And he shall do it within 7 days of the death of the testator.
- The second step is to send the application to the High Court within whose jurisdiction the property falls. The lawyer shall prepare this application and sometimes it can also be filed with a lower court.
- Certain documents like a death certificate, Will, etc. to verify the genuineness of the Will and Free Will of the testator.
- The Court upon receiving the application will verify all the details. After that invites the next of kin for claiming this probate and showcases the invitation letter for objections. If no one objects in 30 days, then the court shall grant the probate.
If you are still confused or any doubts about the legality of the whole situation, contact us for further clarification.
Our dedicated team of Lawyers in Gurgaon strive to do everything to help the client in taking the better-informed decision by understanding his legal situation and requirement.
By Aryan Dhingra
B.B.A LLB 2nd Year student of OP Jindal Global University