Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Trinidad and Tobago

When a person dies without a will, an application for letters of administration is applied for by the next of kin (nearest surviving relative). For example, if a husband dies, his next of kin will be his wife. The person that applies for letters of administration is known as the administrator (if male) or administratrix (if female). This person will, through an attorney at law, make an application for a grant of letters of administration in the deceased's estate. Once granted, the administrator/administratrix is responsible for the distribution of the deceased's estate, in accordance with the law of intestacy. For example, if the deceased left a wife and children, 50% will go to the wife, and the remaining 50% will be distributed equally amongst the children. The distribution of the estate depends on who are the surviving next of kin of the deceased.

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