Letter of Testamentary/Letters Testamentary
A letter of testamentary is a legal document granted by a probate court recognizing a person as the executor of a certain estate. It must be issued before the executor can begin probating the estate.
Even though an executor is specifically named in the will, that person needs a letter of testamentary to formally act on behalf of the decedent in legal and financial matters. What are letters of testamentary for? They empower the executor to do things like:
- Pay outstanding debts
- Distribute the decedent’s assets
- File taxes on behalf of the decedent’s estate
- Access bank and other financial accounts
- Transfer or sell real estate
- Transfer vehicle ownership
- Represent the estate in legal proceedings
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