The Master of the High Court

The Master of the High Court

The Master of the high court is an extension of the highest courts in South Africa, who has the responsibility of controlling and supervising the admin of estates, estate duty estimation, and assessment, and dealing with partnerships and company liquidations.  Accepting and administration of trust funds in respect of minors, and those who are deemed incapable of doing so, also forms part of their scope of duty.  The Master reports to the court on a daily basis and has extensive knowledge of the law.  The Master is supported by a team consisting of assistant masters, senior estate controllers, and estate controllers.  

People are often under the perception that there is only one Master of the High Court, however, every provincial division in South Africa has an appointed Master of the High Court.

The 15 Masters' offices are located in;
  • Bloemfontein
  • Cape Town
  • Grahamstown
  • Kimberley
  • Mmabatho/Mafikeng
  • Nelspruit
  • Pietermaritzburg
  • Pretoria
  • Umtata
  • Bisho
  • Thohoyandou
  • Johannesburg
  • Polokwane
  • Durban
  • Port Elizabeth.
Master’s Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) Web Portal

This portal connects more than 400 magistrates’ offices (deceased estate service points) and all 14 of the Masters´ Offices across South Africa.  It makes available the information from 2008 as per the records of the Masters’ Offices.

Click here to search the ICMS Web Portal.

A detailed explanation of the division is available on the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development‘s website or by viewing the presentation issued by the DOJ & cd.

Services of the Master of the High Court

THE MASTER OF THE HIGH COURT FORMS

All forms, unless otherwise indicated, are Electronic PDF forms (pdf) and can be completed electronically, provided you have Acrobat Reader 7 or later installed.

DECEASED ESTATES

  • J155 – Undertaking and acceptance of Master’s directions [44KB]
  • J187 – Liquidation and distribution accounts in deceased estates lying for inspection GPW Form
  • J190 – Acceptance of trust as Executor [224KB]
  • J192 – Affidavit: Particulars of Next-of-Kin [122KB]
  • J193 – Notice to Creditors in Deceased Estates GPW Form
  • J243 – Inventory / CB47 [611KB]
  • J262 – Undertaking and bond of security – By interim curator / executor / foreign executor / tutor / curator [44KB]
  • J294 (Afrikaans) – Death Notice [85KB]
  • J312 – Undertaking and bond of security – By curator / executor / foreign executor / tutor / curator [108KB]
  • J468 – Undertaking and bond of security -By provisional liquidator(s) / liquidator(s) [16KB]
  • JM33_42 – Section 42(2) – Application for Endorsement in terms of section 42(2) of the Administration of Estates Act: Section 42(2) paragraphs 1 to 6 and 12 [73KB]
  • Affidavit/Declaration – Affidavit/Declaration [26KB]
  • Declaration – Declaration of Subsisting Marriages [28KB]
  • Estate Duty forms (such as the REV267 Estate Duty, REV 246, REV 268, REV 16, REV 244 is available on the SARS website).
  • Nomination Form – Nomination to Act as Executor or Master’s Representative (Letter of Nomination)
  • Section 80 – Application for Endorsement in terms of section 80 of the Administration of Estates Act [57KB]
  • Checklist for reporting a deceased estates at the Durban Master’s Office


NOTE: The “Letter of Authority [Section 18(3)] – J170” “Letter of Executorship [Section 13 & 14] – J238” must be obtained from the Office of the Master.

INSOLVENT ESTATES [LIQUIDATIONS]

    • J28 – Insolvent Estates, Companies Or Close Corporations Sequestrated Or Wound Up Provisionally GPW Form
    • J475 – Section 9(3) – Bond of security in terms of section 9(3) of the Insolvency Act 24 of 1936, 346(3) of the Companies Act 61 of 1973 read with section 66 of the Close Corporations Act, 69 of 1984 [82KB]
    • Affidavit providing required information for persons applying to be placed on the National List of Liquidators [376kb] Updated: 2017/03/20
    • Renewal Affidavit providing required information for persons applying to remain on the National List of Liquidators [357kb] Updated: 2017/03/20

TRUSTS

TUTORS AND CURATORS

  • J197 – Application for appointment as curator or tutor [44KB]
  • J243 – Inventory [611KB]
  • J295 – Notice of Curator and Tutor GPW Form
  • J297 – Election of executors, curators and tutors GPW Form
  • J262 – Undertaking and bond of security – By interim curator / executor / foreign executor / tutor / curator
  • J312 – Undertaking and bond of security – By curator / executor / foreign executor / tutor / curator [108KB]
  • J344 – Undertaking and bond of security [33KB]
  • J468 – Undertaking and bond of security -By provisional liquidator(s) / liquidator(s)[16KB]

GUARDIAN’S FUND

OTHER FORMS – Fees payable to the Master

* Forms not listed here should be obtained from your nearest Master’s Office

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