In the absence of a Will, if there is no survivor amongst the account holders and no nomination had been done by the holders, a Succession Certificate is to be the primary document through which the heirs can claim to the movable assets of the deceased. A Succession Certificate is a document that gives authority to the person who obtain it, to represent the deceased for the purpose of collecting debts and securities due to him or payable in his name.

It establishes the authenticity of the heirs and gives them the authority to inherit debts, securities and other movable assets that the deceased may have left behind.

The beneficiary has to approach the district or the high court within whose jurisdiction the assets fall. The court after examining the petition, if the consents of the legal heirs are not filed issues a notice to all those concerned. It also issues a notice in a newspaper and specifies a time frame within which anyone who has objections may raise them. if no one contests the notice and the court is satisfied, it passes an order to issue a Succession Certificate to the petitioner.