AGD Reports Surge in Small Estate Applications Up to $1.5M

The Administrator-General’s Department (AGD) is reporting a significant increase in small estate applications since being authorised in August 2024 to administer estates valued up to $1.5 million.

Data obtained by JIS News reveal that in fiscal year 2025/26, the AGD received 124 applications, compared to just 39 in 2023/24.

The AGD received 147 applications in 2024/25 when the estate value limit was revised.

Citing Section 53A(1) of the Administrator-General’s Act, Customer Service Officer, Oliver Morris, explained that when a person dies without a will (intestate) and the combined value of all assets is $1.5 million or less, the estate is classified as a small estate.

Mr. Morris noted that estates are assessed based on market value, pointing out that under the law, property is categorised as personal property or real property, the latter referring to land.

“Once the inclusion of real property is involved, then it will exclude such an estate from the classification of a small estate,” he told JIS News.

The AGD is empowered to administer small estates without requiring a Grant of Administration from the court.

Mr. Morris explained that every estate undergoes an investigation to identify all assets to be included, as well as to determine their market value.

“So, if it is a bank account, we will write to the banking institutions. If it is insurance, we write to the insurance companies. For motor vehicles, we will have to do our investigation with Tax Administration Jamaica. We also have to do a valuation report, because we need to ascertain the value of that vehicle,” he detailed.

Mr. Morris further explained that once the valuation is completed and the estate is confirmed to be below $1.5 million, the AGD proceeds with processing it as a small estate.

However, if the investigation determines that the estate’s value exceeds $1.5 million, the applicant is directed to pursue the matter through the court.

Previously, the Administrator-General was authorised to administer estates consisting solely of personal property valued at no more than $100,000.

Mr. Morris noted that prior to August 2024, many individuals approached the AGD seeking assistance with estates valued just above the statutory threshold.

He explained that such applicants were typically advised to retain attorneys to pursue letters of administration through the court. However, the high legal costs often discouraged them from proceeding.

Mr. Morris explained that in some cases, the cost of legal fees was nearly equal to the value of the estate, and as a result, many beneficiaries chose not to pursue the process due to the lack of financial viability.

“Now what we’re seeing is that these persons who walked away are now coming forward. So, we have an increase in the number of customers that we are now processing at the Administrator-General’s Department,” he told JIS News.

Meanwhile, Mr. Morris explained that when the AGD administers estates involving property for children under 18, adult beneficiaries must wait until the minor reaches the age of majority before the case can be concluded.

“Now with the small estate, once it’s just personal property, what we do is the appropriation. So we pay to the adult beneficiaries their portion and they’re on their way… so they no longer have to wait,” he said, adding that the process has been made even more efficient with the introduction of direct deposit.