Guide to deceased estates

Someone has died, and their name is in the Government Gazette. These pages say what that means and what happens next, in plain words.

Your situation

• I found a relative's name: What the notice tells you, and who to write to.
• I am owed money by someone who died: Lodging a claim with the executor, inside or after the 30 days.
• I have to report a death: Where, which office, and what to bring.
• I have been made executor: Letters, fees, frozen accounts and the Guardian's Fund.
• I am researching a family: What a notice proves, and where older records are.
• I have lost touch with members or policyholders: For funds and insurers: whether they died, and who to contact.
• I searched and found nothing: Why a name can be missing, and what to try.

The people you will deal with

• Dealing with the executor: What they must do, the words they use, questions to ask.
• Dealing with the Master's office: What the office does, what to expect, and if you are stuck.
• Dealing with the bank: Frozen accounts, the estate late account, and what the bank needs.
• Dealing with SARS: Tax on the person and on the estate, before anyone is paid.

Topics

• What an estate opened notice means: Field by field, and the 30 days for claims.
• What a payout plan ready notice means: Field by field, the 21 days, and how an objection works.
• What happens after a death: The steps from the death to the payout, and how long they take.
• Protecting an estate from fraud: The warning signs, how to protect an estate, and where to report fraud.
• Glossary: The words in an estate notice, one sentence each.