Estate Matters, Handled With Care

For a straightforward estate, ten to twenty months is a reasonable working figure. The range depends on whether there is a will, how many beneficiaries are involved, whether the estate includes land, and how quickly institutions respond to requests. Akar Jati provides a written timeframe estimate specific to your estate after reviewing the documents.

In most cases, no. The office arranges powers of attorney, notarised documents and remote identity verification so that executors and beneficiaries outside Malaysia can participate without travelling. Meetings are held at hours that work across time zones. The office attends local venues, including the land office and courts, on behalf of the estate.

It is a single working session, charged at RM 150, in which a family brings whatever papers they have — title deeds, bank statements, EPF statements, insurance policies, a will if there is one — and leaves with an organised inventory. The session also produces a note of what is missing and which institutions to contact for the rest. It suits families where a death has been recent and no decisions have been made yet. At the end of the appointment, no further engagement is expected or suggested unless the family asks.

Fees are: RM 630 for estate administration (families abroad), RM 410 for title transfer and property distribution, and RM 150 for a document inventory appointment. Each fee covers the scope of work described on the Solutions page. Where overseas remittances are expected, the quote includes a separate note of typical remittance charges so there are no surprises. Disbursements such as court fees and stamp duty are charged at cost and listed separately.

The office explains both routes — transfer and sale — with the respective costs and timeframes for each, so the family can compare them without being directed one way. The decision belongs to the beneficiaries. Akar Jati does not earn differently based on which route is chosen.

Documents and personal details shared with the office are held under Malaysian solicitor-client confidentiality obligations. They are used only for the matter engaged and are not shared with third parties except where legally required or where the family has given express permission — for example, when corresponding with a bank or land registry on the estate's behalf.