letters testamentaryn.
Reviewed by Owen Hathaway, AttorneyUpdated June 5, 2026The court document that proves a personal representative has authority to act for an estate, and banks and others rely on it.
Letters testamentary are the official court certificate confirming that a personal representative named in a will has been appointed and is authorized to act on behalf of the estate. When there is no will, the equivalent document is letters of administration.
Third parties such as banks, brokerages, and title companies rely on these letters before turning over a decedent's assets to the representative.
Issued by the appointing court in both Colorado and Wyoming once a personal representative qualifies. Colorado's informal probate can produce letters relatively quickly; Wyoming's process generally requires more formal court steps.
Related terms
- personal representativeThe person appointed to settle a deceased person's estate such as gathering assets, paying debts, and distributing the rest. Older terms are executor (with a will) and administrator (without).
- probateThe court-supervised process of proving a will, paying a deceased person's debts, and transferring what's left to the heirs or beneficiaries.