A letter of testamentary is a document that is issued to establish who will act as executor over a deceased persons estate. It could be addressed to a person, to a specific organization (like a charity) or even to a bank in rare cases. The person (or group of people) who receives this letter will be responsible for dividing up the deceased estates in accordance to their will.
A formal letter of testamentary is often issued by a local court and is used as a legal document. If you have not been expressly designated in the will as the executor, or you need to carry out important financial transactions on behalf of the deceased, it is important to obtain this document to prove you have the required authority.
A letter of testamentary does not have to be detailed, it is usually just a brief confirmation of your authority.
Use copies of the letter along with copies of the death certificate to carry out asset distribution, such as real estate transactions, banking etc.
Ted D. Woodson
2087 Jones Avenue
Yanceyville, NC 27379
Dear Ted,
We have spoken of the contents of this letter many times, and I hope the finalized contents of this letter will aide you in settling my affairs.
First, I would like you, Ted, to be responsible for administering my last wishes. If you read my will, you will see that this has been verified there in Section 3. f).
Next, I would like you to carry out my funeral arrangements that have been preplanned and paid for at Garth Holden funeral home in Batesville, Arkansas.
I would also like you to distribute my assets to my family members in accordance to my will. I give you sole responsibility to make sure that everything gets carried out to my exact specifications.
Thank you,
Barry Woodson
The last will of Mr. Cleave Lee designates Mr. Clayton Taylor of 561 Merry Bay, Georgia, as the Executor of his estate. The court hereby orders authorization for Mr. Taylor to execute said will according to the law of the State of Washington.
Signed
Gibson Johnson
WA, King County Superior Court Clerk
As designated by the Last Will and Testament of Jackson Evans, the state of Florida grants authorization for Geoffrey Jones of Arkansas to act as Executor of the Estate and to distribute assets according to the wishes outlined.
Signed
Gilbert White
Clerk of the Superior Court of the state of Florida