-
Proof of Publication for Estate Notices: What the Master Accepts
Quick Answer Proof of publication for an estate notice means the Gazette page, the newspaper tear sheet or online page copy, and the publisher’s confirmation. The Master of the High Court can call for it whenever the estate file is checked — keep it with the estate documents. Image: Wikimedia Commons contributor, via Wikimedia Commons What Counts as Proof of Publication When a deceased estate notice is advertised, someone must be able to prove it happened. The Master of the High Court accepts: The Government Gazette page containing the notice — downloaded free from the GPW legal gazettes portal, or the tear sheet if lodged by post. The newspaper tear…
-
Government Gazette Costs and Deadlines for Estate Notices (2026)
Quick Answer Estate notices appear in the Government Gazette every Friday; lodgement closes roughly seven working days before publication. GPW tariffs are around R250 per notice before newspaper and service fees — through us everything is bundled at a flat R400 per advert. Image: Wikimedia Commons contributor, via Wikimedia Commons The Friday Gazette Rule The Government Gazette that carries estate notices is published by the Government Printing Works (GPW) every Friday. To make a Friday edition, a notice must be lodged well in advance — in practice at least seven working days before publication, correctly formatted and paid. Miss the cut-off and the notice rolls to the next week, which…
-
How to Track a Deceased Estate on the ICMS Portal
Quick Answer The ICMS web portal lets anyone track a deceased estate file at the Master of the High Court — search by surname or estate number to see the executor, the estate status and whether the liquidation and distribution account has been advertised. Image: WolfenSilva, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 What the ICMS Portal Is The Insolvency and Curatorship / Estates web portal (ICMS) run by the Department of Justice lets the public track deceased estate files at the Master’s offices. Executors, heirs and agents use it to see where an estate stands without phoning the Master’s office. What You Can See Whether an estate file exists and…
-
Chief Master Directive 1 of 2025: Online Estate Adverts Explained
Quick Answer Chief Master Directive 1 of 2025 allows deceased estate notices (J193 and J187) to be published in approved online publications where printed newspapers are impractical — the Gazette requirement and prescribed wording stay exactly the same. Image: Wojsyl, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 What Directive 1 of 2025 Says The Chief Master issued Directive 1 of 2025 to modernise estate advertising. In short: where it is not reasonably possible or practical to publish a deceased estate notice in a printed newspaper, the notice may be published in an online newspaper or approved online publication, as long as it circulates in the district where the deceased ordinarily lived…
-
Section 18(3) Small Estates: Estates Under R250,000 Explained
Quick Answer A Section 18(3) estate is a deceased estate worth R250,000 or less. The Master of the High Court may issue letters of authority instead of letters of executorship, and the J193/J187 Gazette adverts are usually not required. Image: Wikimedia Commons contributor, via Wikimedia Commons The R250,000 Threshold Section 18(3) of the Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965 gives the Master a shortcut for small estates. Where the gross value of the estate is R250,000 or less, the Master may dispense with formal letters of executorship and issue letters of authority to a family member or other suitable person instead. At magistrate service points without a resident estate…
-
J294 Death Notice Form: How to Complete It Correctly
Quick Answer The J294 death notice is the official Master’s form completed when a deceased estate is reported in South Africa. It records the deceased’s details, family, will and assets — and its information reappears in the J193 and J187 Gazette adverts. Image: Wikimedia Commons contributor, via Wikimedia Commons What Is the J294 Death Notice? The J294 is the official “Death Notice” form used when a deceased estate is reported to the Master of the High Court. It captures the basic facts the Master needs to open the estate file: who the deceased was, whether they left a will, who the surviving relatives are, and what the estate roughly contains.…