A legal heir certificate is an important document to claim an inheritance of property and prove the relationship between a deceased and his or her successor. It is to be obtained from an associated municipality or corporation. Also, one must obtain it when the proprietor of a property has passed without leaving behind any will.

To know about this legal heir certificate in detail, read along!

A legal heir certificate is a post-demise document enforceable under the law. It states the name of all legal heirs of a deceased and is an important document that every surviving member must obtain to stake a claim on his or her property. Therefore, it is understandable that such a certificate will require a great deal of inquiry and diligence into the matter.

Read more about:

• Legal Heir Certificate in Tamil Nadu
• Legal Heir Certificate in Karnataka
• Legal Heir Certificate in Delhi

There are many uses of a legal heir certificate, such as:

• Claim insurance
• Transfer assets or belongings of the demise to his/her successor
• Claim funds like gratuity or provident funds from the government
• Receive a family pension facility from the employer of the deceased
• Get employment through a compassionate appointment
• Transfer balances, investments or deposits of the deceased

Know more about Property Insurance in India

The following are the documents required for a legal heir certificate in Karnataka. Make sure you furnish them at the time when applying for this certificate:

• Aadhaar card
• Voter ID card
• Ration Card
• Proof of address and birth date
• Death certificate of the deceased
• Affidavit or self-declaration form mentioning all surviving members
• Residence certificate of the deceased

Indian law states that only the following related persons of the deceased can apply for a legal heir certificate:

• Son or daughter
• Spouse
• Parents

Follow the steps mentioned below to apply for a legal heir certificate in person:

Step 1: You may first visit the Talukdar of your locality and collect the application form for a legal heir certificate.

Step 2: Fill up every detail required in the form correctly and attach all necessary documents for support.

Step 3: Next, you must affix a stamp of Rs. 2 on the form.

Step 4: Once it is done, furnish your application for a legal heir certificate to the authorised officer in the office.

Step 5: He or she may send your application to your village administrator and revenue inspector for further verification.

Step 6: If this process goes smoothly, they will issue you the certificate within 30 days after submitting your application.

The following are the essential documents needed for the legal heir certificate during the application process:

• Duly signed and filled-up application form
• Your address proof and copies of identity
• Your photo
• Proof of date
• Death certificate of the deceased
• Address proof of the deceased
• Self-declaration form or affidavit

The cost for a legal heir certificate may vary from one state to another. However, generally speaking, this fee is nominal. You may have to pay a stamp fee of Rs. 2 and Rs. 20 for a stamp paper.

After you submit your application for a legal heir certificate, the status of your application process will be visible on the associative E-District portal online. You will find it under the transaction history tab. In addition, the officials also provide an update through the SMS facility to track the status of the application.

So, once you get a notification that your certificate is ready for download, follow the process stated below to download a legal heir certificate:

Step 1: Log in to the E-District portal. You can refer to the table mentioned above to get the link for the specific state you are looking for.

Step 2: Next, download your certificate available on this portal and print it for later reference.

This is all the information one must know before applying for a legal heir certificate. It is an important document that all eligible successors must have in their possession to claim their rights over the property of a deceased. However, remember it can be revoked if someone objects to the grant that this certificate provides.