5. Get your certificate 

Your application may take several weeks or months to process. If the court needs more information, or if any documents are missing or incomplete, it may take longer. The court will tell you in writing if your application is refused or there's a problem.

If your application is approved, you get the court's certificate in the same way you sent your application. For example, if you applied by mail, court staff mail you the certificate.

With the regular court process, you get a Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee. This confirms your right to manage the estate.

With the process for small estates, you get a Small Estate Certificate that lists all the assets you have the right to manage. If you later discover more estate assets that bring the value of the estate over $150,000, you must go back to court to get permission to manage those.

Manage and distribute the estate

Learn what to do when you get the certificate in I’m the estate trustee. How do I manage and distribute the estate?