{"id":30476,"date":"2021-05-15T14:42:41","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T09:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/?p=30476"},"modified":"2025-02-07T18:44:35","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T13:14:35","slug":"succession-certificate-vs-will-probate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/succession-certificate-vs-will-probate\/","title":{"rendered":"Succession Certificate vs. Will Probate: Definition, Scope, and Applicability"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Death is inevitable, and there is no way one can avoid it. In legal purview, the transfer of property of the deceased is often carried out through legal instruments like Will. Legal heirs of the testator can accordingly opt for claims related to property as mentioned under Will. In the article, we will talk about the most popular legal instruments, i.e., succession certificate and <a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/probate-of-will\" title=\"Probate of Will\"><strong>Will probate<\/strong><\/a> existed in our legal framework.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, \u2018Will\u2019 can be interpreted\nas a legal instrument that legalizes the transfer of property among the legal\nheirs. Giving the legal effect to property transfer is indeed a crucial step in\nthe person&#8217;s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Will can effortlessly\novercome the potential disputes related to property that might trigger in\nfuture among the family members. A Will explicitly outlines how the testator&#8217;s\nproperty will be allocated among family members after his\/her death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, it ensures that the testator&#8217;s belongings do not devolve in light of the law of inheritance but as per the testator&#8217;s desire. So which legal instrument is suitable for seamless allocation of property among the legal heirs? <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"957\" height=\"693\" src=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Succession-Certificate-vs.-Will-Probate-Definition-Scope-and-Applicability.png\" alt=\"Succession Certificate vs. Will Probate\" class=\"wp-image-30498\" srcset=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Succession-Certificate-vs.-Will-Probate-Definition-Scope-and-Applicability.png 957w, https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Succession-Certificate-vs.-Will-Probate-Definition-Scope-and-Applicability-300x217.png 300w, https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Succession-Certificate-vs.-Will-Probate-Definition-Scope-and-Applicability-768x556.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 957px) 100vw, 957px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Page Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/succession-certificate-vs-will-probate\/#Probate_A_Legal_Process_of_Authenticating_a_Testators_Will\" >Probate: A Legal Process of Authenticating a Testator&#8217;s Will<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/succession-certificate-vs-will-probate\/#Succession_Certificate_Required_under_Non-Availability_of_the_Will\" >Succession Certificate: Required under Non-Availability of\nthe Will<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/succession-certificate-vs-will-probate\/#Lock-in_Points_Related_to_Probate_and_Succession_certificate\" >Lock-in Points Related to Probate and Succession certificate<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/succession-certificate-vs-will-probate\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Probate_A_Legal_Process_of_Authenticating_a_Testators_Will\"><\/span>Probate: A Legal Process of Authenticating a Testator&#8217;s Will<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the legal purview, Probate\nrefers to a legal procedure under which a competent court authorizes Will while\ngiving effect to the testator&#8217;s intention or desire. In laymen&#8217;s terms, Probate\nacts as a legal document issued by the competent jurisdiction that ensures a\nWill which can be transferred to the beneficiary of the Will. It&#8217;s essential to\nnote down that Probate and the succession certificate are two different things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Probate is deemed as conclusive\nproof of the authenticity of a Will until it is revoked. Also, Probate largely\nremains unaffected from any evidence that questions its authenticity during the\nlegal proceeding. Probate is usually required when a deceased owns the full\nestate or property, and it is compulsory in cases where there is a single owner\nof the property. As per prevailing law, Probate is mandatory for the deceased&#8217;s\nproperty to be transferred in the beneficiaries&#8217; name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It usually takes around 6-9 months for the entire process to reach completion, provided no objection is raised either from the deceased or public in the meantime. In cases of any objection, the court may extend the above timeline to two years based on the significance of the objection.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>The Indian Succession Act, 1925 specifies\nthe following conditions that mandate the presence of a Probate.&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Where a will has been made by a Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist in the areas of Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, and Assam and within the local limits of the civil jurisdiction of the <em><strong>High Courts<\/strong><\/em><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/High_courts_of_India\"><em><strong>[1]<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/sup> of Madras and Bombay, then a probate is necessary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The recovery of a debt due to the estate of a Hindu is pending.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The cost of obtaining Probate covers legal fees &amp; stamp duty as per the estimated property&#8217;s value. The Stamp duty related to the Probate differs state-wise.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Succession_Certificate_Required_under_Non-Availability_of_the_Will\"><\/span>Succession Certificate: Required under Non-Availability of\nthe Will<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The civil court issues a\nsuccession certificate to the legal beneficiaries of a testator. It is issued\nby the court for the realization of the testator&#8217;s debts and securities if an\nindividual dies without making a Will. It renders the confirmation regarding\nthe legitimacy of the heirs &amp; confers them the rights to have securities\nalong with other assets assigned in their name and inherit debts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is granted in view of prevailing laws of inheritance on an application filed by an heir to a competent court in his\/her respective jurisdiction. A succession certificate is important but not necessarily adequate to free the deceased&#8217;s assets. The common documents required for the issuance of a <a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/succession-certificate-in-india\" title=\"Succession Certificate\"><strong>succession certificate<\/strong><\/a> include;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>A death certificate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Letter of administration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>No-objection certificates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To avail this certificate, an\napplicant is required to file a petition before the District Judge located in\nthe jurisdiction where the testator ordinarily lived at the time of his or her\ndemise or, if at that time testator had no permanent place of residence, the\nDistrict Judge under whose jurisdiction the property of the testator may be\nfound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The law has a different\ntreatment for a person who either died after making the Will or without making\nthe Will. In the presence of a Will, the same has to be submitted for Probate\nafter the testator&#8217;s demise. In case of non-availability of the Will, the\nbeneficiaries have to file a petition before the eligible jurisdiction for\n&#8216;Succession Certificate&#8217; for the legal transfer of the testator&#8217;s assets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lock-in_Points_Related_to_Probate_and_Succession_certificate\"><\/span>Lock-in Points Related to Probate and Succession certificate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>A&nbsp;probate&nbsp;is a legal copy of the Will\nauthenticated by the eligible court to the testator&#8217;s executor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The eligible jurisdiction generally grants Probate after the\nin-depth examination of the Will based on available facts.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The individual appointed by the testator, aka executor, has\nthe right to submit the petition regarding the Probate before the honorable\ncourt.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The issuance of Probate is legally impossible in the absence\nof the testator&#8217;s executor. In case of non-availability of the executor, the\ncourt only issues the simple letter of administration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Generally, a&nbsp;succession certificate&nbsp;encloses\ninformation about the legal heirs chosen by the testator, the relation between\nthe testator and the heir, debts, and assets of the testator, declaration of an\nintestate death, and&nbsp;death of the deceased.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The presence of Will defies the applicability of the\nSuccession Certificate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The facts mentioned above explicitly manifest the Probate refers to legal process under which Will&#8217;s legitimacy is examined based on available facts. It is also used for the general administering of a testator&#8217;s Will or assets of the same individual without a will. Meanwhile, &#8216;Succession Certificate&#8217; works on the concept of non-availability of the Will. It is usually conferred to the legal beneficiaries of a testator who has expired &#8220;interstate,&#8221; i.e., leaving no Will behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"text-left\"><b>Read our article<\/b>:<mark style=\"background: #fffd03 !important;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/probate-of-a-will-meaning-significance-and-applicability\/\">Probate of a Will: Meaning, Significance, and Applicability <\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Death is inevitable, and there is no way one can avoid it. In legal purview, the transfer of property of the deceased is often carried out through legal instruments like Will. Legal heirs of the testator can accordingly opt for claims related to property as mentioned under Will. In the article, we will talk about [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":30500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[272],"tags":[1746],"acf":{"service_id":"69"},"authorName":"Pankaj Tyagi","authorImageUrl":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/MicrosoftTeams-image-42.jpg","authorDescription":"Pankaj has a diverse experience of writing research papers, blog, and articles during his college time. Earlier, he was working as a tax consultant in a financial firm, but his interest in writing drives him to pursue a career in the writing field.","postViews":8272,"readingTime":4,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30476"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30476"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68687,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30476\/revisions\/68687"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}