What Are Letters Testamentary In New York?

Transcript:

What are letters testamentary in New York?

Letters testamentary are court certificates that prove that you are the duly court-appointed executor of somebody’s estate.

So what does that mean?

If somebody you know died and left a will naming you as executor, it’s not enough for you to go to the bank with the will and death certificate to try to close out the deceased person’s account.

Why, do you ask?

Well, think about it.

The bank has no way of knowing if the will was signed properly, witnessed properly, forged or if the person who made the will was mentally incompetent or had any other problems when they signed the will.

That’s the court’s job, isn’t it?

So letters testamentary are your proof that the court has reviewed the will and reviewed the entire process, concluded that everything was done correctly and confirmed that you are the duly-appointed executor.

And with that certificate, you can go close bank accounts and collect assets.

Hope you found this helpful. Take care now.

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