How to assemble documents to report a deceased estate

How to use this guide

Uploading forms or receiving an estate number does not establish appointment authority. The decisive document is the J238 issued by the Master for an executor, or the J170 issued for a representative directed under section 18(3). This article covers pack architecture and consistency control; the definitive reporting-document guide remains the official-form catalogue.

Start with a cover sheet, not a pile of forms

Before completing anything, create a one-page control sheet recording:

• deceased's full names, identity number, date of death and ordinary residence;
• reporting office and any existing estate number;
• original will and codicil status;
• relationship and intestacy status;
• provisional gross asset value and known-creditor total;
• proposed J170 or J238 route, marked provisional until confirmed;
• proposed appointee and nomination basis;
• security status;
• last submission or Master's query; and
• current authority: not appointed, J170 issued or J238 issued.

This prevents an online receipt, J190 acceptance, nomination form or portal status from being mistaken for authority. It also shows immediately which facts remain assumptions.

If the route, risks or missing records are still unclear, use the pre-appointment consultation guide to prepare a focused adviser intake before trying to complete the formal pack.

Section 1: death, identity and jurisdiction records

The Master's current reporting guidance identifies the J294 Death Notice and death-certificate evidence as core reporting records. Keep the deceased's identity details and ordinary-residence evidence with them because those facts help identify the responsible office and must remain consistent across the pack.

Where names, dates or identity details differ, do not silently choose one version. Record the discrepancy and gather the supporting Home Affairs or other official record needed to explain it. If the estate was reported before or an estate number appears in correspondence, preserve that evidence to avoid duplicate files.

The Administration of Estates Act contains specified 14-day reporting duties. A late report should still be made; do not backdate a form or hide the reason for delay.

Section 2: every will and relationship record

Place all original wills, codicils and documents purporting to be testamentary on an original-document register. Note who found each document, where it was found, its physical condition and when it was lodged. Keep a working copy for reference rather than writing on the original.

Chief Master Directive 9 allows electronic reporting but treats the original will as an exception to ordinary copy submission. Do not assume a scan closes the original-delivery requirement.

Relationship evidence may include a marriage certificate or other proof relevant to a civil, customary, religious or same-sex relationship, together with the applicable declaration. If there is no valid will, the next-of-kin affidavit and heir information become important. The precise combination depends on the facts; disputed relationships should be disclosed and advised on, not resolved by omitting a person.

Use a relationship schedule with:

• each spouse or partner and the claimed legal basis;
• children and descendants, including predeceased children;
• other possible intestate heirs;
• minors or vulnerable beneficiaries;
• supporting document or missing-evidence status; and
• any disagreement that could affect nomination or succession.

Section 3: gross assets and known creditors

The J243 inventory should be supported by a working gross-asset schedule. “Gross” matters: the section 18(3) route is not selected by subtracting debts from assets.

For each possible asset, record:

1. description and legal owner;
2. account, title, policy or registration reference;
3. custodian and location;
4. provisional date-of-death value;
5. source of that value;
6. co-ownership, security or dispute; and
7. whether the supporting record is attached or outstanding.

Search beyond the obvious home, vehicle and bank account. Consider investments, insurance-related rights, business and trust interests, debts owed to the deceased, refunds, household property, digital assets and foreign holdings. Do not use zero merely because a value is not yet known; mark it “value outstanding” and identify the next evidence source.

Keep creditors on a separate schedule with claimant, basis, amount, security and evidence. Directive 9 identifies a full known-creditor list for the section 18(3) route. A creditor schedule also exposes possible insolvency early enough to reconsider whether the proposed route is suitable.

Decide the route provisionally from gross value and risk

Under section 18(3) and the current ministerial determination, an estate that does not exceed R250,000 may be handled through a Master's representative, subject to the Master's discretion. Above R250,000, the full Letters of Executorship route applies.

An amount at or below the threshold does not guarantee J170. Directive 9 identifies circumstances in which the full route may still be used, including certain insolvency, dispute, vulnerable-beneficiary or will-directed-sale situations. Mark the route as provisional until the inventory and risk facts are reconciled and the Master has determined the application.

If a newly discovered asset changes the gross value, preserve the earlier inventory, prepare the correction and notify the Master. Do not manipulate values to retain the simpler route.

Section 4A: appointment records for the full J238 route

The Master's current guidance identifies route-specific material that can include:

• nomination evidence where the will does not supply an available executor;
• J190 Acceptance of Trust as Executor, in duplicate;
• certified identity evidence for the proposed executor;
• J262 security material where required; and
• an appointment affidavit or other document requested for the facts.

J190 is an acceptance supporting the application; it is not the Letters of Executorship. A will nomination is also not the appointment. Store those documents under “application” and reserve “authority” for the J238 issued by the Master.

Security is conditional, not automatically present or absent. Section 23 contains specified exemptions and override powers. Record the basis for any claimed exemption, the Master's requirement, bond provider, amount and completion evidence.

Section 4B: appointment records for the section 18(3) route

The smaller-estate route can include nomination evidence, identity evidence, the J155 undertaking and acceptance of the Master's directions, and the known-creditor list identified in Directive 9. The exact pack remains fact-dependent.

J155 is not a J170. It records acceptance of directions as part of the application. The appointment and its scope come from the J170 issued by the Master.

If a minor or vulnerable person, dispute, insolvency concern, sale requirement or unreliable value makes the simplified route questionable, flag it rather than filing as though value alone determines the outcome.

Separate originals, certified copies and working copies

Create an original-document register with five columns: item, holder, date received, condition and destination. Store originals securely and use copies for annotations.

Directive 9 permits online copies in the reporting workflow but preserves exceptions for the original will, security bond and any item the Master asks to verify. It also requires the applicant to retain supporting records. A useful file therefore distinguishes:

• original lodged or retained for delivery;
• certified copy submitted;
• ordinary working copy;
• portal upload; and
• verification requested by the Master.

Do not label a document “certified” unless the copy and certification actually satisfy the relevant requirement.

Run a consistency review before submission

Read the pack horizontally, not form by form. Check that the same name, identity number, death date, address, marriage status, will date, heir list, nominee and gross value appear consistently or have an attached explanation.

Then check execution:

• all required pages are present;
• signatures are in the correct capacity;
• commissioned documents are properly completed;
• multi-page commissioned documents are signed as required;
• certifications are current and readable where applicable;
• value evidence matches the inventory schedule;
• conditional items are marked applicable, not applicable or outstanding; and
• no supporting document is being presented as the appointment itself.

The early-mistakes guide explains the authority and route errors this review is designed to prevent.

Section 5: submission, query and rework records

Keep an immutable submission set with an index, date, channel and proof of delivery. The current framework allows the official online system as well as delivery of original completed documents through recognised physical channels. Availability and office practice can change, so record the channel actually used.

For every query, keep:

• the original Master's request;
• date received and response deadline if stated;
• item-by-item response;
• corrected document with version date;
• evidence supplied; and
• proof and date of delivery.

Do not overwrite the submitted version. If the inventory or family facts change, the file should explain why.

Finish with the actual appointment record

When the application is successful, file the signed, date-stamped J238 or J170 in a distinct authority section. Verify the names, estate number, office, appointment type, issue date and scope. Use the QR validation mechanism where the letter contains a QR code, while recognising that some older manual matters may not be electronically verifiable.

An online status, estate number, submission receipt, J190, J155, nomination, JM13 or funeral-funds document is workflow evidence, not the appointment.

Prepare a handover index containing the authority, original register, reporting set, Master queries, gross asset and creditor schedules, preservation actions and outstanding exceptions. The post-appointment document guide takes over once administration begins.

Submission-readiness check

The pack is ready for responsible submission when:

• the correct office has been identified or the jurisdiction issue is flagged;
• originals are controlled and every purported will is disclosed;
• relationship facts are supported or openly marked disputed;
• gross assets are searched, valued or marked for follow-up;
• creditors are separately scheduled;
• the proposed route is reasoned, not assumed;
• conditional nomination, acceptance and security documents are classified correctly;
• facts reconcile across forms;
• the submission set is indexed; and
• missing items have a named owner and next action.

Readiness does not guarantee appointment. It gives the examiner a coherent record and gives the family a defensible way to answer what is missing.

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