Glossary

A few of the technical and legal terms that you might find used on our website, or in connection with the administration of an estate.

These definitions are however provided only for informational purposes, and subject to our general disclaimer.

Administrator

A term generally used to describe the Personal Representative of an intestate estate. (Feminine form: Administratrix)

Estate

All of the deceased’s assets, of any kind – not exclusively real estate.

Executor(s)

The person (or persons) appointed by a Will, to deal with the administration of the testator’s estate. (Feminine form: Executrix Feminine plural: Executrices)

Genealogy

The process of researching and recording family relationships and structures.

Grant of Probate

See Grant of Representation.

Grant of Representation

Court issued authority for named individuals (or a trust corporation) to administer an estate. In the case of a testate estate; the Grant is a Grant of Probate. In cases of intestacy (or should the Will have not named executors, or those executors chose not to administer the estate); the Grant will be known as Letters of Administration.

Intestate/Intestacy

The state of dying without leaving a valid Will. A total intestacy occurs when the deceased leaves no Will at all; a partial intestacy is when an otherwise valid Will fails to deal with the deceased’s entire estate.

Letters of Administration

See Grant of Representation.

Missing Beneficiary Indemnity Insurance

Missing Beneficiary Indemnity Insurance provides protection for the personal representatives and beneficiaries of an estate, against claims from beneficiaries who were missing when the estate was distributed. Please see our Indemnity Insurance page, for further information.

Personal Representative

A person entitled to deal with the administration of an estate (the collection of assets; payment of debts, and distribution of bequests and the residue), in accordance with his or her Will, or under the intestacy rules. The term includes Executors and Administrators of all descriptions.

Probate Genealogy

The specialised application of the skills and disciplines of genealogy, for the purposes of identifying and locating the various persons entitled to share in an estate.

Testate

The state of dying leaving a valid Will.

Testator

The person making a Will. (Feminine form: Testatrix)

Will

A document directing the manner in which a testator’s estate is to be distributed after his death.