Grants of representation are issued by the courts in form of certificates. They serve to confirm that a particular person has authority to act as a personal representative of a dead person.
Grants of representation may be limited by court as to purpose, property, circumstances or time. A limited grant does not give the personal representative a right to act in respect of the entire estate of a deceased person until the administration is completed.
Grants Limited to time include the following:
Grant where will is unavailable
In cases where the deceased made a will but the same is lost, misplaced or can’t be found by reason of being outside jurisdiction or held in a foreign court, a limited grant may be given under until the original or an authentic copy is found.
Grant durante aetate minore
A child has no capacity to take out a grant yet certain wills provide for children be the administrators or executors of a will. A grant may be issued limiting the time within one is to act for the duration of the minority. This grant expires when the minor reaches 18 years.
Grant durante absentia
Where the personal representative is outside the jurisdiction of court, the court may grant representation to another person limited to the duration of the absence of the personal representative
Grants to administer the estate for benefit of a person of unsound mind
If you find a situation the sole beneficiary of an estate becomes mentally incapacitated, a grant of letters of administration will be made by court to a person or competent authority to administer the estate for the benefit of the person of unsound mind. If the mental incapacity ceases to be, the incapacitated executor or administrator can take out a grant over the estate.