Legal heir certificate
What it is
A legal heir certificate identifies the surviving family members of someone who has died. It is issued by a local revenue or municipal authority and is used to establish who is entitled to a holding.
It is not the same as a succession certificate, and the two are not interchangeable. Which one a registrar will accept depends on the case, and obtaining the wrong one costs months.
When you need it
A shareholder has died without a registered nomination and entitlement has to be established.
A registrar has asked for proof of who the heirs are.
Several family members are entitled and the registrar needs all of them identified.
When you don’t
A nomination was registered against the holding — that route is usually more direct.
There is a will that establishes entitlement, in which case a different set of documents applies.
The registrar has specifically asked for a succession certificate, which is a different instrument obtained from a court.
Where this fits
Services that need it
Guides that use this
Problems this solves
Tell us what you are trying to claim and we will tell you exactly which documents apply — before you start filling anything in.