Sikkim Legal Heir Certificate

Legacy will be owned by the head of the family and later, it is inherited by the legal heirs of the head of the family. The legal heir is often declared by the head of the family before his/her death. In situations when a legal heir is not announced, to choose the right legal heir, a document called as legal heir certificate is required. In some cases, a legal heir certificate is also called as a Succession Certificate. In this article, we look at the procedure for obtaining Sikkim legal heir certificate in detail.

Need for the Document

On the demise of the head of the family, the family legacy has to be taken over by the next direct legal heir. When the head of the family passes away, there are few changes that will have to be made in the legal documents to transfer electricity connection, house tax, telephone connection/ patta transfer, bank account, etc. On the event of the death of a government employee, the certificate will be required to sanction family pension, and to get an appointment on compassionate grounds.

Uses of the Document

Legal heir certificate is used for the following purposes. They are

To establish the relationship for the deceased.
To avail pensions, insurance, retirement benefits.
Service benefits that are provided by the Central and State government.
To avail other government schemes.

Required Information

It is mandatory to know basic information about the deceased to apply for a legal heir certificate. They are

Name of the deceased
Details of the family members
Applicant's signature
Date of Application
Residential Address

Qualified Applicants

Legal heir certificate is granted only to the nearest relative of the deceased. It can be any of the following:

Husband of the deceased
Son of the deceased
Daughter of the deceased
Mother of the deceased

Required Documents

Given below are the required documents that have to be possessed by the applicant.

Death certificate
Identity Card
Ration card
Prescribed application form
Aadhaar Card

Application Procedure

The application procedure to apply for a Legal Heir certificate is as follows. However, the applicant has to carry the death certificate of the deceased at the time of applying for the certificate. Step 1: Approach the Taluk/ Tahasildar Office The applicant has to approach the nearest Taluk or the Tahasildar office. The applicant can also approach a District Civil Court in the area to apply for the certificate. Step 2: Receive the application The applicant has to obtain the application form from the concerned officer. Step 3: Enter the Details The applicant then has to enter all the required details in the application form. Step 4: Attach the Documents The applicant has to attach all the required documents to the application form. Step 5: Submit the application The applicant has to submit the application form to the concerned officer. Step 6: Verification Process Once the application is submitted, verification will be done by the local revenue officers and by the village administrative officials. Step 7: Issuing the certificate Once all the procedures are completed, the certificate is issued to the applicant.