Our Services

Estate Planning Tools

Four estate planning tools can be used in conjunction to assist you in planning your estate.

01.
Will/Wasiat Writing Services

Many people in Malaysia believe that a Will/Wasiat is unnecessary because their property and possessions will be distributed to their spouses and children automatically upon their death. However, any assets remaining after death will be frozen or rendered inaccessible; no one will be able to access, sell, transfer, or manage these assets. They are only unfrozen following the appointment of an estate Administrator/Executor - obtaining a Letter of Administration or Grant of Probate.

02.
Estate Administration

When a person dies, all of his or her assets are frozen – real estate, money, stocks, and personal belongings all become part of the individual's estate. Estate administration is the process of collecting and managing the estate's assets, paying any debts and taxes, and distributing the estate's remaining property to the heirs.

03.
Trust / Hibah Amanah Administration

Is having a Will/Wasiat enough for distributing your estate's assets? Are you aware that even when a Will/Wasiat is in place, such distribution does not take place immediately? Upon your death, all of your assets will be frozen. The Estate Administration Process can take at least a year, if not longer. In contrast to the Estate process, assets held in a Trust established by you will not be frozen upon your death.

Will/Wasiat Writing Services

Wasiat is defined in Section 5 of the Selangor Enactment, which states that a “will” is defined as “an iqrar (promise) made by a person during his lifetime with respect to his property or benefit thereof, to be carried out for the purposes of charity or any other purposes permissible by Islamic Law, after his death.”

A Wasiat is a document or instruction given orally or in writing by a Muslim allowing him or her to bequeath one-third of their property to beneficiaries who are not their Faraid heirs. Apart from property, a testator may direct the Wasi to perform certain acts upon his or her demise.

Rukun Wasiat

According to Syariah, a Wasiat is composed of four rukun. This is a list of the rukun:

 

  1. The Testator – the individual who is providing the instructions.
  2. The Beneficiary – the person who is receiving assets from the Testator.
  3. Bequeathed Assets – the estate property.
  4. Sighah – Lafaz Wasiat

Importance of Wasiat

  1. Expedite legal process and less costly.
  2. Choose your own Executor and Trustee (Wasi dan Pemegang Amanah) & Guardian for minor children.
  3. Settlement of debts (actual & spiritual).
  4. Distribution up to 1/3 of the total estate to non-Faraid beneficiaries.
  5. Declaration of Harta Sepencarian.
  6. Mitigate Family Disputes.
  7. For charitable purposes in order to gain reward in the Hereafter – Wakaf/Tabung Amanah Amal Jariah
  8. No requirement of administration bond.

Section 2 of the Wills Act 1959 defines a Will as “a declaration intended to have legal effect of the intentions of a testator with respect to his property or other matters which he desires to be carried into effect after his death and includes a testament, a codicil and an appointment by will or by writing in the nature of a will in exercise of a power and also a disposition by will or testament of the guardianship, custody and tuition of any child.”

 

It can be simply defined as a legally binding document where your distribution wishes are expressed. In Malaysia, the Wills for non-Muslims must comply with the Wills Act 1959 or the Wills Ordinance 1953, in the case of Sabah.

 

Importance of Will

  1. It supersedes the Distribution Act 1958 where
    you can control your distribution to your loved ones.
  2. Expedite legal process and less costly.
  3. Choose your own Executor and Trustee & Guardian for minor children.
  1. Settlement of debts.
  2. Mitigate Family Disputes.
  3. Opportunity to meet special needs for loved ones who are not members of the family.
  4. Testamentary Trust created under a Will.
  5. No requirement of administration bond.

A Will/Wasiat must adhere to the following requirements in order to be valid:-

 

  1. The Testator (the person who makes the Will/Wasiat) must be at least 18 years old in West Malaysia and Sarawak, and 21 years old for non-Muslim in Sabah.
  2. Testator must be of sound mind;
  3. Will/Wasiat must be made in writing and signed;
  4. Two witnesses must be present when the Will/Wasiat is signed. The witness to the Will/Wasiat signing cannot be the beneficiary or the beneficiary’s spouse. For Muslims, 2 male Muslims for or 1 male Muslim & 2 female Muslims.

1. Standard Will/Wasiat Writing Services

A Standard Will/Wasiat is a straightforward Will/Wasiat document (templated) that a Testator can walk into any Palladium Trustee branch or meet with our agents and sign on the spot—the same day. This will typically include the appointment of Executor, and distribution will be determined by percentage of entitlement or by Faraid Law (for Muslims) from the Testator’s entire estate.

2. Comprehensive Will/Wasiat Writing Services

A comprehensive Will is a custom-made Will that generally includes the appointment of Executor, the appointment of Guardian for minor children, a specific list of assets to be distributed, the setting up of Testamentary Trust/Tabung Amanah Amal Jariah clause, and the harta sepencarian clause for Muslims. Palladium Trustee’s professional Will Writers will draft this comprehensive Will, and the Testator will receive the first draft within five (5) business days.

Estate Administration

Intestate refers to dying without a Will/Wasiat. When a person dies in intestacy, the distribution of the deceased’s assets will follow the Distribution Act 1958 (amended in 1997) for non-Muslims in West Malaysia & Sarawak, or the Intestate Succession Ordinance 1960 for non-Muslims in Sabah. For Muslims, the distribution will follow the Faraid Law.

Testate means that a valid Will/Wasiat exists for an estate at the time of death. Non-Muslims’ estates will be distributed according to their Will, but legal rights must still be satisfied. For Muslims, after deducting all unpaid debts, a Muslim can bequeath only one-third (1/3) of the remaining assets. According to the Faraid Law, the heirs are entitled to the remaining two-thirds (2/3) of the Testator’s assets. Testator can bequeath more than (1/3) of his assets if all Faraid heirs agree with the distribution, after Testator’s death.

 

Intestate

Testate

Court Documents

Letter of Administration

Grant of Probate

Estate Administration Process

Lengthy Process

Faster Process

Administration Bond

Required

Not required

Cost

Higher

Lower

Person in Charge

Administrator

Executor

We offer comprehensive Estate Administration Services for both intestate and testate estates. Our roles and responsibilities as Executor/Administrator are as follows:-

 

  1. Conduct Will/Wasiat readings and collect pertinent documents from beneficiaries.
  2. Contact all financial institutions to confirm the deceased’s account balance.
  3. Compilation of a list of assets and obtaining confirmation from the beneficiaries.
  4. Preparation of documents for the High Court application for Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration.
  5. Palladium Trustee will appear in court. Probate will be available two months after the hearing.
  6. Upon obtaining the Grant of Probate or LA, creditors will be notified for a period of two months under the heading “Notice of Creditor.”
  7. Collect proceeds from the relevant banks/financial institutions.
  8. Execute the transfer of movable assets, properties, vehicles.

Trust / Hibah Amanah Administration

A Trust / Hibah Amanah is a fiduciary arrangement that entrusts a third party, the Trustee, with the responsibility of managing assets on behalf of one or more beneficiaries. Trust /Hibah Amanah can be structured in a variety of ways and can specify precisely how and when assets are distributed to beneficiaries. Since Trusts are typically not subject to probate, your beneficiaries may have access to these assets more quickly than they would with assets transferred through a Will/Wasiat.

1. Control of your wealth

You can precisely define the terms of a Trust, determining when and to whom distributions are required. You can also establish a Trust to ensure that the Trust assets remain accessible to you during your lifetime while designating who will inherit the remaining assets upon your demise.

2. Protection of your legacy

A properly constructed trust can assist you in protecting your estate from beneficiaries who may be incompetent in the area of financial management.

3. Confidentiality

While the contents of a Will/Wasiat may be kept confidential during the testator’s lifetime, the beneficiaries will become known immediately upon the Will being read following the testator’s death. When it comes to the content of the Trust Deed (Surat Ikatan Amanah), however, it is possible for it to remain confidential after the death of the Settlor.

Everything that can be owned can be held in Trust. The Settlor must to transfer the ownership of the asset to the Trustee. The Trustee holds the legal title of the Trust asset, but the beneficiary enjoys rights to asset. Assets held in trust may include:-

 

  1. Houses and other real estate.
  2. Cash.
  3. Insurance/Takaful
  4. Fixed Deposits.
  5. Unit Trust.
  6. Stocks/shares/debentures.
  7. Intellectual Property.
  8. Club memberships.
  9. Valuable works of art.
  10. Furniture or antiques.
  11. Valuable collections of stamps, coins, or other objects
  1. Special Child Needs Trust
  2. Charitable Trust/Tabung Amanah Amal Jariah
  3. Insurance Trust
  4. Business Succession Trust
  5. Minor Beneficiary Trust
  6. Special Purpose Trust
  7. Asset Protection Trust
  8. Testamentary Trust
  9. Dynasty Trust

WHY CHOOSE US?