1 Answer
It’s not standard practice for the Bombay High Court to permanently retain original documents like a death certificate without return. In most probate or letters of administration matters, the court may ask you to produce the original for verification, but what is actually kept on record is usually a certified copy, not the original itself. Surrendering the original without getting it back is uncommon and can create problems for you later, since the death certificate is an important document needed for multiple legal and financial purposes.
You should clarify with your advocate whether the court has specifically directed submission of the original or only verification. If submission is required, ask whether you can instead file a **notarized or certified copy** and show the original for inspection. Alternatively, you can obtain multiple certified copies of the death certificate from the municipal authority before proceeding. If something still seems unclear, it’s reasonable to seek a second opinion or directly confirm the filing requirements with the court registry to avoid unnecessary loss of original documents.