Government · Contact details
Master of High Court Durban Contact Details
The Master of the High Court Durban main line is 031 327 0600, and the office email is MasterDurban@justice.gov.za. The Durban office is a branch of the Master of the High Court, which falls under the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, with the Chief Master’s national office in Pretoria.
Durban and Pietermaritzburg are separate Master’s offices in KwaZulu-Natal. Contact the office where your estate or matter was reported. For the other offices, see the main Master of the High Court contact details page.
Master of the High Court Durban contact details at a glance
| Route | Details |
|---|---|
| Durban Master’s Office main line / switchboard | 031 327 0600 |
| Durban Master’s Office email | MasterDurban@justice.gov.za |
| Main registry / incoming post and copies | 031 327 0610 |
| Deceased estates helpdesk (Room 224) | 031 327 0678 |
| Deceased estates registry (file groups, Room 221) | 031 327 0628 |
| Terminated trusts documents (national) | TerminatedTrust@justice.gov.za |
| Dormant trusts documents (national) | DormantTrust@justice.gov.za |
| Master’s contacts and forms | justice.gov.za/master/contacts.htm |
| Office hours for the public | 07h45 to 13h00 |
| Address | 2 Devonshire Place (Off Anton Lembede Street/Smith Street), 2nd Floor, Durban, 4001 |
Official Durban Master’s Office contact route
Call the switchboard on 031 327 0600 or email MasterDurban@justice.gov.za for general queries. For deceased estates, the helpdesk in Room 224 is on 031 327 0678, and the deceased estates registry in Room 221 is on 031 327 0628. The main registry, which handles incoming post and copies, is on 031 327 0610.
Documents for terminated trusts go to TerminatedTrust@justice.gov.za and documents for dormant trusts go to DormantTrust@justice.gov.za. These are national mailboxes, not Durban-only ones.
The Master’s contacts page at justice.gov.za/master/contacts.htm carries the full officials list for Durban, last updated 08 Jun 2026.
Location and operating information
- Physical address: 2 Devonshire Place (Off Anton Lembede Street/Smith Street), 2nd Floor, Durban, 4001
- Postal address: Private Bag x 54325, Durban, 4000
- Docex: Master of the KwaZulu-Natal High Court, DOCEX 218, Durban
- Office hours for the public: 07h45 to 13h00
After 1.00 pm, the office sees people only for urgent matters, funerals, service points and prior appointments. Plan to arrive in the morning.
Services at the Durban office
The Durban office has sections for deceased estate appointments, liquidation and distribution accounts, trusts and curatorship, insolvency, the Guardian’s Fund and finance, and a wills room. There is also a deceased estates service point.
Deceased estate files are split into groups by the last digit of the file number. Each group has its own Assistant Master, estate controllers and registry clerk, so have your file number ready when you call.
Reporting a deceased estate in Durban
The Durban office publishes its own checklist. Bring certified copies of the listed documents, including the deceased’s ID, the death certificate and the original will, along with these forms:
- Death Notice (J294).
- Next-of-kin affidavit (J192), if there is no will.
- Inventory (J243).
- Acceptance of trust as executor (J190), where the estate is above R125 000.
- For estates below R125 000: a list of creditors and an Undertaking and Acceptance of Master’s Direction (J155, section 18(3)).
Parent organisation and escalation
The Durban office reports to the Office of the Chief Master in Pretoria, within the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development. If your matter is not resolved:
- Contact the office where the matter was reported, quoting your file number.
- Escalate to the Assistant Master handling your file group.
- Then to the Deputy Master, and then the Head of the Office.
- Only after that, take it to the Office of the Chief Master.
For other government offices, browse the government hub or the government directory L to M listings.
FAQs
What are the Master of the High Court Durban contact details?
Call 031 327 0600 or email MasterDurban@justice.gov.za. The office is at 2 Devonshire Place, 2nd Floor, Durban.
What is the deceased estates contact number at the Durban Master’s Office?
The deceased estates helpdesk is on 031 327 0678, and the deceased estates registry is on 031 327 0628.
What are the Master’s Office Durban hours?
The office is open to the public from 07h45 to 13h00. After 1.00 pm it handles only urgent matters, funerals, service points and prior appointments.
Is the Durban Master’s Office the same as Pietermaritzburg?
No. They are separate offices. Deal with the office where the estate was reported.
Sources
- Department of Justice, Master of the High Court contacts: justice.gov.za/master/contacts.htm, read 2026-09-26
- Department of Justice, Master of the High Court Durban officials list (PDF): justice.gov.za/master/contacts/moh-durban.pdf, read 2026-09-26
- Department of Justice, Durban deceased estate checklist (PDF): justice.gov.za/master/m_forms/Deceased-Estate-Checklist-DBN-eForm.pdf, read 2026-09-26