Estate matters, carried to the final transfer

Extracting the grant is only the beginning. We act for executors, administrators, and beneficiaries in Johor Bahru and throughout Malaysia, through the Land Office, the banks, and the tax clearance, to the point the estate is properly closed.

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Property and succession, under one roof

From sub-sales and developer purchases to transfers and perfection of title, we carry a conveyancing matter from the first title search through to registration and completion.

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Based in Johor Bahru, acting across Malaysia

We act for executors, administrators, and families throughout Malaysia from our office in Johor Bahru. Come in to meet us, or reach us on WhatsApp.

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Our people

Then Zhi Xin (Joan),
Principal Associate

Joan acts on conveyancing and financing transactions, and on the succession side: wills, probate, letters of administration, and the property transmission that follows the grant.

Clients often arrive somewhere in the middle, with a grant already extracted and nothing moving. That is the work she does, not a sideline to it.

Read her profile

Then Zhi Xin (Joan), Principal Associate at Then & Associates

Fixed fee consultation (where applicable)
Transparent process
Direct lawyer communication
Serving clients throughout Malaysia

Practice areas

Succession, start to finish

Estate matters are rarely only legal. Families are grieving, records are incomplete, and the process is unfamiliar to almost everyone in the room. We set out what has to happen, in what order, and how long each step realistically takes.

Where there is a will

Grant of Probate

Filing the petition and affidavits in the High Court, attending to requisitions, and extracting the sealed grant for the named executor.

Learn more → Where there is no will

Letters of Administration

Establishing who may apply, arranging sureties, and obtaining the grant so the estate can be administered under the Distribution Act 1958.

Learn more → Land Office track

Small estate distribution

Petitions dealt with by the Land Administrator rather than the High Court, including the schedule of assets and attendance at the enquiry.

Learn more → Post-grant

Property transmission

Registering transmission at the Land Office, discharging charges, clearing quit rent and assessment, and transferring title to the beneficiaries.

Learn more → Contentious

Estate disputes

Caveats, citations, removal of a personal representative who will not act, applications for an account, and claims by beneficiaries left waiting.

Learn more → Before it is needed

Wills & succession planning

Drafting wills, appointing executors and guardians, and structuring estates so the administration that follows is straightforward to carry out.

Learn more → Property

Conveyancing

Sub-sales, developer projects, transfers, and perfection of title, handled from first instruction through to registration.

Learn more →

What to expect

Four steps, and you always know which one you are on

Most delays in estate administration come from a step nobody knew was required. We map the whole sequence at the first meeting, including the parts that depend on third parties.

Consultation

You tell us where the estate stands. We identify the correct track (High Court or Land Office) and what documents will be needed.

Scope and fees

A written scope and fee estimate before we open the file, so there are no surprises later in the matter.

Application

Petition, affidavits, and supporting documents filed; requisitions answered; the grant extracted and sealed.

Administration

Assets called in, liabilities and tax cleared, transmission registered, and the estate distributed and closed.

The principle we work by

Extracting the grant is the beginning. Closing the estate is the work.

Then Zhi Xin (Joan), Principal Associate

Latest from Legal Insights

The grant is not the finish line.

Issue 01: the two misconceptions that routinely delay estate administration, and the practical steps executors should take next.

Losing a loved one is never easy, and estate administration shouldn't be made harder by avoidable delays caused by misconceptions. Many executors believe that obtaining a Grant of Probate completes the administration. In practice, it is only the authority to begin.

A Will does not itself transfer ownership, and a grant does not change the land title. Both require separate, distinct steps, and overlooking either can prevent a later sale or refinancing.

Read Issue 01

Book a consultation

Tell us where the estate stands.

Whether a grant has been extracted, what assets are involved, and what has stalled. That is usually enough for us to say what the next step is and what it will cost.

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The firm

Why we work the way we do

Probate is procedural work with a family at the other end of it. Both halves of that matter.

The firm was established to give families and executors a single point of contact for the whole of an estate matter, not just the court application, but the Land Office registration, the bank releases, the tax clearance, and the distribution that follows.

Too many estates stall between those steps. A grant is extracted, the file is closed, and two years later the land title is still in the deceased's name and nobody can sell the house. Our practice is organised to prevent exactly that.

We keep matters with the lawyer who took the instructions. You speak to the person doing the work, not to a file number, and you receive a written scope and fee estimate before the file is opened.

Our people

Then Zhi Xin (Joan)

Principal Associate · Conveyancing, financing documentation, probate and estate administration

Joan is the Principal Associate at Then & Associates, practising in Johor Bahru, with experience across conveyancing, security and financing documentation, probate, and estate administration.

She manages property transactions from first instruction to registration, drafts and advises on loan documentation and security instruments, and guides families through probate, letters of administration, and the estate administration that follows the grant. Much of the work involves liaising directly with land offices, banks, developers, and government authorities to keep completion on schedule.

Clients often arrive somewhere in the middle: a grant already extracted but nothing moving, a bank declining to release funds, a land title still in the deceased's name years later. Joan writes Legal Insights, a short series on succession in Malaysia for executors and families.

RolePrincipal Associate, Then & Associates

FocusConveyancing · Probate & administration · Wills

LanguagesEnglish, Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese

BasedJohor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

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Experience

Where the work was learned

Conveyancing and financing volume alongside contentious and advisory exposure, in private practice and in-house.

Current Then & Associates

Principal Associate

Manages and completes 50 or more conveyancing and financing transactions, covering sub-sales, developer projects, transfers, perfection, financing, and refinancing.
Prepares, reviews, and advises on loan documentation and security instruments for banking and financing matters.
Advises clients on probate, letters of administration, and estate administration procedures.
Drafts wills and estate planning documentation tailored to clients' succession objectives.
Liaises with land offices, banks, developers, and authorities to expedite completion and prevent turnaround delays.

2025 Messrs Yong & Rajah

Legal Associate

Acted on conveyancing and financing transactions, and advised on probate and estate administration matters.

Qualifications

Admission and training

Practice areas and skills brought to each matter, and the qualifications behind them.

Professional Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP)
Legal Profession Qualifying Board (LPQB)

Degree Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Second Class Honours
University of London

Languages English, Mandarin, Malay, Cantonese

Based Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

Core practice areas and skills

Conveyancing
Probate & administration
Will drafting
Property transactions
Legal drafting
Client advisory
Matter management
Legal research
Corporate & commercial support

Core values

What we hold ourselves to

Four commitments that decide how a matter is run, and how it is priced.

One

Plain language

Every step explained in words a family can act on, with the legal terms translated rather than assumed.

Two

Sequence first

The whole path mapped at the outset, including the steps that depend on the Land Office, the banks, or LHDN.

Three

Fees agreed upfront

A written scope and estimate before the file opens. If the scope changes, you hear it from us before the work is done.

Four

Direct access

You deal with the lawyer handling your matter, and you are told where it stands before you have to ask.

A note from counsel

Seamless execution begins with the right sequence.

For guidance on probate, estate administration, or property transmission, contact Then Zhi Xin (Joan), Principal Associate.

Book a consultation

Fixed fee consultation (where applicable)
Transparent process
Direct lawyer communication
Serving clients throughout Malaysia

Where there is a will

Grant of Probate

When someone leaves a Will, the executor named in it must apply to the High Court to confirm their authority before they can deal with the estate. That confirmation is the Grant of Probate.

Without the grant, banks will not release funds, the Land Office will not register a transfer, and share registrars will not act. The Will alone is not enough.

What to expect

We confirm the original Will, the death certificate, and the list of assets and liabilities.
We prepare the petition and supporting affidavits and file them in the High Court.
We answer any requisitions raised by the registry.
The sealed grant is extracted and produced to each asset holder.

How we help

We trace and verify assets before filing, so the schedule does not need amending later.
We handle requisitions directly, which is where most self-filed applications stall.
We continue past the grant into the administration itself. See Property transmission below.

Where there is no will

Letters of Administration

Where there is no valid Will, no executor has been named. A family member or other entitled person must apply to be appointed administrator instead.

The estate is then distributed according to the Distribution Act 1958, which sets fixed shares for a surviving spouse, children, and parents, not according to what the family has agreed among themselves.

What to expect

We establish who is entitled to apply, and obtain the consents of the other beneficiaries.
We deal with sureties, or apply to dispense with them where the circumstances allow.
We file the petition in the High Court and extract the grant once issued.
We set out how the estate must be divided under the Act, in writing, before distribution.

How we help

Disagreements over who should apply are common, so we identify the entitled applicant early and document the consents.
Sureties are the single most frequent obstacle in these applications; we address them at the outset, not after filing.

Land Office track

Small estate distribution

Smaller estates that include immovable property are dealt with by the Land Administrator rather than the High Court.

The track that applies depends on the value and composition of the estate. Filing in the wrong forum costs months, so this is confirmed before anything is lodged.

What to expect

We confirm the estate qualifies for the small estate procedure and prepare the schedule of assets.
The petition is filed at the relevant Land Office and an enquiry date is fixed.
We attend the enquiry with you and address any questions from the Land Administrator.
The distribution order is issued and the title registered accordingly.

How we help

We prepare beneficiaries for what the enquiry actually involves, so nobody is caught off guard.
Where beneficiaries cannot attend, we arrange the necessary documentation in advance.

Post-grant

Property transmission & estate administration

The grant confirms authority. It does not, by itself, change who owns the land. That requires a separate registration at the Land Office.

This is the step most often missed. Until transmission is registered, the property remains in the deceased's name, and no sale, refinancing, or transfer can proceed.

What to expect

Transmission registered at the Land Office in the personal representative's name.
Charges and encumbrances redeemed or discharged; consent obtained where the title carries a restriction in interest.
Quit rent, assessment rates, and outstanding liabilities settled; tax clearance obtained.
Assets called in, estate accounts kept, and the property transferred in accordance with the Will or distribution order.

How we help

We take the matter through to registered ownership, not just to the sealed grant.
We keep the estate account and the records that protect the personal representative if the distribution is later questioned.

Contentious

Estate disputes

Where an estate is contested, or where a personal representative will not act, the court has procedures to move matters forward.

Most disputes we see are not about the validity of a Will. They are about delay: an administrator who has stopped responding, or beneficiaries who have never seen an account.

What to expect

We assess the position and advise honestly on whether a court application is proportionate.
Caveats and citations where an application should be halted or compelled.
Applications to remove a personal representative, or to compel an account of the estate.
Claims by beneficiaries or dependants who have been left out or left waiting.

How we help

Where a matter can be resolved by correspondence and a proper account, we say so before costs are incurred.
Where it cannot, we act promptly, because delay usually favours whoever currently holds the assets.

Before it is needed

Wills & succession planning

A well-drafted Will does not only record wishes. It decides how difficult the administration will be for the people who have to carry it out.

Naming an executor who is able and willing to act, and dealing clearly with jointly held property, avoids most of the problems we are later asked to fix.

What to expect

A structured discussion of assets, family circumstances, and who should act as executor and guardian.
Drafting, execution, and proper witnessing. An improperly executed Will is the most avoidable failure in this area.
Advice on safekeeping the original and telling the executor where it is.
Review when circumstances change: marriage, property, business interests, children.

How we help

We draft with the administration in mind: the estate has to be workable, not just correctly worded.
Non-Muslim estates are governed by different rules to Muslim estates; we confirm which framework applies at the outset.

Property

Conveyancing

Buying, selling, or transferring property in Malaysia runs on a fixed sequence of consents, stamping, and registration. Missing one step delays completion for everybody in the chain.

We act on sub-sales, developer purchases, transfers between family members, and perfection of title where the transfer or charge was never completed.

What to expect

Title search and confirmation of any restriction in interest, charge, or caveat before the sale and purchase agreement is signed.
Preparation and stamping of the agreement, and the transfer instrument for registration.
State consent applications where the title requires them, and developer consent on projects.
Completion, redemption of any existing loan, and registration of the transfer.

How we help

We chase the land office, the bank, and the developer so completion is not held up by whoever replies slowest.
Volume matters here: we run these transactions regularly and know where each one usually stalls.

Not sure which applies?

Describe the estate and we will tell you the track.

High Court or Land Office, probate or letters of administration: the right route depends on facts that are usually clear within one conversation.

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Issue 01 / Estates & succession / Probate & property transmission

The grant is not the finish line.

Losing a loved one is never easy, and estate administration shouldn't be made harder by avoidable delays caused by misconceptions. Here are the practical steps executors should take next.

Author Then Zhi Xin (Joan), Principal Associate

Reading time 3 minutes

Many executors believe that obtaining a Grant of Probate completes estate administration. In practice, it is only the authority to begin.

Misconception one

A Will automatically transfers assets to beneficiaries.

A Will records how an estate should be distributed, but it does not itself transfer legal ownership. The executor must first obtain a Grant of Probate from the High Court.

The position

The grant confirms the executor's authority to collect, administer, and distribute the estate in accordance with the Will. Until it is issued, the executor generally has no legal standing to deal with the deceased's assets.

Misconception two

A Grant of Probate automatically changes the land title.

The grant confirms authority. It does not alter the registered ownership of land. A separate application must be made to the relevant Land Office or Land Registry to register the transmission.

The position

Only after that registration is completed does the land register reflect the new legal owner or owners. Overlooking this distinct step can prevent a later sale, refinancing, or transfer, and create substantial delay for beneficiaries.

After the grant

What still needs to happen.

Depending on the estate and the property involved, the executor's post-probate work may include:

Registering the transmission at the Land Office
Redeeming or discharging charges and encumbrances
Settling quit rent, assessment rates, and liabilities
Transferring the property in accordance with the Will

Property remains registered in the deceased's name until the formal transmission process is completed.

The central point

A Grant of Probate is authority to act, not a transfer of ownership.

Estate administration is complete only when the required post-probate procedures have also been carried out. Identifying those requirements early helps avoid costly delays and gives beneficiaries a clearer path to becoming registered proprietors.

Legal Insights

More issues

The series in order: probate and administration, then conveyancing, then estate disputes. Select an issue to read it.

Issue 02 · Conveyancing · Forthcoming Signing the agreement is not the same as owning the property.

Why a signed sale and purchase agreement is not a transfer of ownership, and what still has to happen before the keys.

Issue 03 · Estate disputes · Forthcoming When an estate goes quiet: what beneficiaries can do.

The remedies when an executor or administrator will not act, and why delay favours whoever holds the assets.

The year ahead

What is coming

The subjects planned for the series, in the order they are being written, so you can see whether it covers the question you have.

When an estate goes quiet: what beneficiaries can do
What the earnest deposit commits you to
No will does not mean no plan: the Distribution Act decides
Loan approved is not loan disbursed
When a tenant stops paying: what landlords can and cannot do
Selling a charged property, and what redemption involves
Discharge of charge: the loan is paid, the bank is still on the title
The surety problem in letters of administration
Caveats on the title, and what they actually stop
Joint names do not always mean joint ownership
Real property gains tax and the 3% retention
EPF, insurance, and nominations against the will
Love and affection transfers within a family
Choosing the right executor
Doing the transaction yourself, without a lawyer
Small estates: High Court or Land Office
Sub-sale or developer purchase
Why an unstamped tenancy agreement hurts the landlord
Bumiputera lots, Malay reserved land, and foreign purchasers
Cross-border estates: property in two countries
Late delivery and liquidated ascertained damages
Co-owners who will not sign
Perfection of title after the strata title is issued
Buying at auction
Divorce and the family home

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Common questions

Estate administration, answered plainly

General guidance for executors and families in Malaysia. This is information, not legal advice for a specific matter.

Does a will transfer property automatically to the beneficiaries?

No. A will records how an estate should be distributed, but it does not transfer legal ownership. The executor must first obtain a Grant of Probate from the High Court, and immovable property must then be registered by transmission at the Land Office before ownership changes.

What is the difference between a Grant of Probate and Letters of Administration?

A Grant of Probate is obtained when there is a valid will naming an executor. Letters of Administration are obtained when there is no will; an administrator is appointed and the estate is distributed under the Distribution Act 1958.

What is a small estate, and which forum deals with it?

A small estate that includes immovable property is dealt with by the Land Administrator at the Land Office rather than the High Court. Whether an estate qualifies depends on its value and composition.

Does obtaining the grant complete the estate administration?

No. The grant is authority to act, not a transfer of ownership. Administration is complete only after the post-grant steps: registering the transmission at the Land Office, discharging charges, settling quit rent and tax, and distributing the estate.

Do you act for clients outside Johor Bahru?

Yes. We act for clients throughout Malaysia from our office in Johor Bahru.

A note from counsel

Seamless execution begins with the right sequence.

For guidance on probate, estate administration, or property transmission, contact Then Zhi Xin (Joan), Principal Associate.

Book a consultation

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Estimate only. These figures are a guide based on the Solicitors' Remuneration Order 2023 and stamp duty rates current in 2026. They exclude disbursements (search fees, registration, and other outlays), and do not account for exemptions or waivers you may qualify for, such as the first-home stamp duty exemption. They are not a quotation or legal advice. For a precise costing of your matter, contact Then & Associates.

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We reply within one business day. Please don't include confidential or time-sensitive details in a first enquiry.

Important. Submitting this form, or sending an email through this website, does not create a solicitor-client (attorney-client) relationship. No such relationship arises until we have carried out a conflict check and confirmed our engagement in writing. Please do not send confidential or time-sensitive information until that confirmation has been received. Information on this website is general in nature and is not legal advice for any particular matter. If a limitation period may be approaching, contact us by telephone.

Office No. 162A & 163A, Jalan Ngee Heng, Ibrahim International Business District (IIBD), 80888 Johor Bahru, Johor

WhatsApp +60 11-3670 1759

Telephone +60 11-3670 1759

Email then@lawgistics.my

Business hours Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm

Message on WhatsApp Email directly

Before the first meeting

What to bring, if you have it

The death certificate, the original Will, land titles or a search, recent bank statements, and details of any outstanding loans or charges. If you have none of these yet, come anyway, and we will tell you how to obtain them.

Estate matters, carried to the final transfer

Property and succession, under one roof

Based in Johor Bahru, acting across Malaysia

Then Zhi Xin (Joan),Principal Associate

Succession, start to finish

Grant of Probate

Letters of Administration

Small estate distribution

Property transmission

Estate disputes

Wills & succession planning

Conveyancing

Four steps, and you always know which one you are on

Consultation

Scope and fees

Application

Administration

The grant is not the finish line.

Tell us where the estate stands.

A practice built around succession.

Why we work the way we do

Then Zhi Xin (Joan)

Where the work was learned

Principal Associate

Legal Associate

Admission and training

Core practice areas and skills

What we hold ourselves to

Plain language

Sequence first

Fees agreed upfront

Direct access

Seamless execution begins with the right sequence.

What we do, in plain language.

Grant of Probate

What to expect

How we help

Letters of Administration

What to expect

How we help

Small estate distribution

What to expect

How we help

Property transmission & estate administration

What to expect

How we help

Estate disputes

What to expect

How we help

Wills & succession planning

What to expect

How we help

Conveyancing

What to expect

How we help

Describe the estate and we will tell you the track.

Legal Insights

The grant is not the finish line.

A Will automatically transfers assets to beneficiaries.

A Grant of Probate automatically changes the land title.

What still needs to happen.

A Grant of Probate is authority to act, not a transfer of ownership.

More issues

What is coming

Estate administration, answered plainly

Seamless execution begins with the right sequence.

Estimate your conveyancing costs

Book a consultation

Send us the details

What to bring, if you have it

Then Zhi Xin (Joan),
Principal Associate