What Happens When a Man dies?
When a man dies, his estate will, after deduction of debts, funeral and testamentary expenses, be distributed according to his will or to the intestate law.
Executor and Administrator
Before the estate can be distributed, some one has to obtain the grant of probate (in the case of will) or the letter of administration (in the case of intestacy) in respect of the estate from the High Court. The one who obtains the grant of probate is called the Executor. He is simply the person chosen by the deceased and named in the Will to be the one responsible for the job of administering the estate. The one who obtains the letter of administration is called the Administrator. The Non-contentious Probate Rules contain elaborate rules governing who can become the administrator. He is usually a person related to the deceased by blood or marriage.
