--- title: "Probate Registry Lagos: Processing Letters of Administration" url: "https://buyrentlagos.com/articles/probate-registry-lagos-processing-letters-of-administration" published: "2026-05-20T07:00:00+00:00" updated: "2026-10-08T04:23:17.821623+00:00" author: "Laide Matthews" category: "Property Guide" verified: false --- # Probate Registry Lagos: Processing Letters of Administration If a property owner dies without a will (or without named executors able to act), the family must obtain Letters of Administration from the Probate Registry of the High Court of Lagos State before the property can be legally sold, transferred or managed. A straightforward, non-contentious application typically takes 4 to 6 months once forms are correctly filed and estate duty is paid, but disputes, missing documents or caveats can extend it well beyond a year. This is general information, not le **TL;DR:** If a property owner dies without a will (or without named executors able to act), the family must obtain Letters of Administration from the Probate Registry of the High Court of Lagos State before the property can be legally sold, transferred or managed. A straightforward, non-contentious application typically takes 4 to 6 months once forms are correctly filed and estate duty is paid, but disputes, missing documents or caveats can extend it well beyond a year. This is general information, not legal advice — probate is solicitor-led work. "Laide, my father left a house in Surulere but there is no will — can we just sell it?" I hear a version of this every month. The short answer is no, not legally, until the court grants your family the authority to act. That authority is the Letters of Administration. Here is how the Lagos process works at a practical level. ## When you need Letters of Administration Letters of Administration are needed where a person dies intestate (without a valid will) owning property in Lagos, or where a will exists but no executor is named or able to act (then it is Letters of Administration with Will annexed). If there is a valid will with executors, the executors apply for a Grant of Probate instead — a related but different track. Without a grant, banks will not release the deceased's funds, the Lands Registry will not register a sale by the family, and a buyer who pays without it is buying a lawsuit. I always tell buyers: if the seller says "my father owned it, he is late, we the children have agreed," ask for the grant and the assent vesting the property in the beneficiaries. Sentiment does not substitute for probate. ## Where and how the application runs All applications go to the Probate Registrar, High Court of Lagos State (Ikeja or Lagos Island division depending on where the deceased lived and held property). Most families instruct a solicitor — this is court process with sworn forms, sureties and gazette publication, and errors cause the file to be queried and sent back. The usual sequence, in plain terms: 1. **Application letter and opening of file.** Your solicitor writes to the Probate Registrar with the deceased's full name, date of death, last address in Lagos, and the names, addresses and relationships of the proposed administrators (between two and four people). You attach the death certificate and pay for the application forms. 2. **Completion of probate forms.** The registry issues a bundle: oath of administration, declaration as to next of kin, inventory of assets, particulars of landed property, bank certificates for any accounts, administration bond, justification of sureties, and sureties' guarantee forms. One administrator swears an affidavit that no prior application has been made. Administrators provide valid ID and passport photographs. 3. **Publication and caveat period.** Notice of the application is published (in the gazette or a newspaper) so that anyone with a claim or objection can enter a caveat. No grant can issue within the statutory waiting period after death — 21 days for administrations without a will, 14 days where a will is annexed — and in practice the file must clear the publication window without a caveat. 4. **Assessment and payment of estate duty.** The registry values the estate from your inventory — bank balances, shares, and the value of landed property — and assesses estate duty. Lagos sources commonly cite 10% of the net value of the estate (some summaries state a 5%–10% band depending on the assets and current registry assessment; your solicitor will confirm the assessed figure on your pay sheet — do not rely on a flat rate quoted outside the registry). Duty is paid by bank draft as assessed. This is the largest single cost in most estates. 5. **Approval and collection.** Once duty is paid and the file is clear, the draft grant is prepared, approved by the Probate Judge, signed by the Probate Registrar, and released to the administrators. The administrators then use the grant to collect assets, open an estate account, and eventually execute an assent or deed transferring property to the beneficiaries. Official registry guidance and practitioner summaries put a clean, non-contentious Lagos grant at an average of 4 to 6 months from proper filing and prompt duty payment, barring bureaucratic delays. The introduction of electronic filing at probate.lagosjudiciary.gov.ng is intended to shorten that, but paper files, missing bank certificates and family disagreements still govern the real timeline. ## The documents families struggle to find In my experience, the delay is rarely the court. It is the paper hunt: the deceased's death certificate (from the National Population Commission or hospital), title documents for the land (C of O, Governor's Consent, or registered deed), survey plan, bank statements, and share certificates. If the deceased held property in a name that differs even slightly from the death certificate, expect an affidavit and further evidence to reconcile it. Where the estate includes landed property, be precise in the "particulars of freehold/leasehold property" — plot size, location, and title number. Under-declaring values to reduce duty is a false economy; banks and the Lands Registry will demand consistency between the grant inventory and later transfers, and under-declaration can be challenged by beneficiaries. If two branches of the family disagree on who should be administrators, the application becomes contentious. A caveat can be entered, and the matter may move from the registry to open court. That is solicitor-and-litigation territory, and timelines stretch from months to years. This article cannot advise you on that — take independent legal advice early, ideally before anyone collects rent or sells a plot "on behalf of the family." Once the grant is out, the work is not finished. Administrators must administer for the beneficiaries, not themselves, keep an inventory, pay just debts and funeral expenses as scheduled, and then distribute. A beneficiary who wants to sell their inherited share still needs the assent and, for registered land, Governor's Consent to the subsequent transfer. Buyers should verify the grant at the registry and confirm the administrators who signed are the same persons named in the grant. ## Frequently asked questions ### How long does it take to get Letters of Administration in Lagos? Practitioner summaries put a straightforward application at 4 to 6 months once forms are properly filed and estate duty is paid promptly. Disputes, caveats, missing bank certificates or incomplete land documents can extend it to a year or more. ### How much does probate cost in Lagos State? The main cost is estate duty, assessed as a percentage of the estate's value — commonly cited at up to 10% of net value, payable as assessed by the registry on your inventory — plus registry form fees, publication costs, and your solicitor's professional fees. There is no single flat fee; the registry assessment on your pay sheet governs. ### Can we sell a deceased parent's house without Letters of Administration? Not safely or registrably. The Lands Registry will not register a transfer by the family without the grant (and subsequent assent), and a buyer who proceeds without it cannot perfect title. Get the grant first, then sell as administrators or after vesting in beneficiaries. ### Who can apply to be an administrator? Typically the surviving spouse and adult next of kin, up to a maximum of four administrators and not fewer than two in most intestacy cases. Applicants provide ID, passport photographs, sworn declarations as to next of kin, an administration bond, and sureties who justify their means. ### What is the difference between probate and Letters of Administration? Probate is granted to executors named in a valid will to carry out the will. Letters of Administration are granted where there is no will (or no acting executor) to administrators appointed by the court to distribute the estate under the Administration of Estates Law. ## Related reading - [Property After Death: Probate & Letters of Administration in Lagos](/articles/property-after-death-probate-and-letters-of-administration-in-lagos) - [How to Do a Land Search at Alausa: Lagos Land Registry Guide](/articles/how-to-do-a-land-search-at-alausa-lagos-land-registry-guide) - [Inheriting Property in Lagos: Disputes, Documents & Selling](/articles/inheriting-property-in-lagos-disputes-documents-and-selling) - [10 Documents to Demand Before Paying for Land in Lagos](/articles/10-documents-to-demand-before-paying-for-land-in-lagos)