The government has issued a formal clarification on the expiry of Letters of Administration and Probate, reassuring the public that no property will be lost when these grants lapse, contrary to claims circulating online and in the press.
In a statement dated May 20, 2025, the Office of the Administrator General explained that the changes stem from the amended Succession Act, which came into force on May 31, 2022.
Under this law, Letters of Administration and Probate were, for the first time, given expiry dates.
“Letters of Administration or Probate granted to private persons before 31st May 2022 shall expire on 31st May 2025,” said Victor Manzi, acting Administrator General and Public Trustee.
“Those granted after that date will expire after two years from the date of issue.”
Manzi also clarified that grants issued to the Administrator General before May 31, 2022, will remain valid until May 31, 2027.
Some categories are exempt from expiry altogether, including “grants issued to guardians of minors or grants in respect of estates receiving pension.”
The clarification follows widespread misinformation that suggested expired grants would result in loss of inheritance.
Manzi dismissed such claims as misleading.
“This is therefore to inform the public that expiry of Letters of Administration or Probate shall not cause loss of property, as some media posts seem to suggest,” he said.
Instead, those affected can apply to court for an extension. “Court may, on application by an Administrator or Executor, extend the duration of expired Letters of Administration or Probate for a reasonable period,” Manzi said.
The Administrator General’s Office had earlier published a simplified guide to the amended succession laws in the New Vision newspaper on July 26, 2022, which addressed these changes in detail.
As the first expiry deadline of May 31, 2025, draws near for grants issued before the 2022 amendments, Manzi urged the public to “understand the new regulations and take appropriate legal steps where necessary.”
The clarification comes amid growing concern from families administering estates and legal practitioners, many of whom were unaware that the succession law now imposes strict time limits on probate and administration.
The Administrator General’s Office has said it will continue to offer guidance on compliance with the law.