Can a Video Call be a Valid Will?
Of course we all want our loved ones to be looked after when we are gone, and we all know the importance of leaving behind a valid and properly drawn will to ensure that our last wishes are honoured. But knowledge and action are different things, and our courts must regularly sort out bitter […]
Living Wills: 6 Myths Busted
Health issues and mortality are facts of life, no matter how remote they may seem at the moment, nor how distressing they are to contemplate. For your family’s sake as well as for your own, make sure that you have a Living Will (or another form of “advance healthcare directive” such as a Durable Power […]
Importance to appending the certificate required in terms of the wills act: Ouma Rosie’s story
Ouma Rosie lived in her Delft house for nearly 15 years with Uncle Fred before he passed on. Her children moved out and away even before Fred moved in with her. She never had a good relationship with her son (alcohol and abuse was the order of the day with him), and her daughter died […]
Free wills week – A report of a township dilemma
The Wills Week that was held from 12-16 September this year, gave people from all backgrounds the chance to have a free consultation and to have a free will drawn up to organise their affairs. One specific instance is typical of so many complicated and desperate situations. Mrs Chantal Jacobs (“Mrs Jacobs”) made an appointment […]
Find your way with a will that protects your legacy
The LSSA aka Legal Practitioners Council of SA, advises you to get your free will without delay. We agree with that. Read more here: https://www.lssa.org.za/our-initiatives/advocacy/national-wills-week/ “Where there’s a will there’s a way”, at least that’s how the saying goes. But is it actually true? Yes, if you have a written will, signed and witnessed, in […]
Don’t accidentally disqualify your chosen heirs from inheriting!
“Death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate.” (Ambrose Bierce) Your will (“Last Will and Testament”) will always be the keystone of your estate planning, and a recent High Court decision sounds yet another warning to beware the “do your own will” concept. By not having his will drawn by a […]
Why life partners still need cohabitation agreements and wills
Some 32 million South Africans co-habit outside marriage (that’s actually from a 2016 census – the number is probably higher now). With the concept of “common law marriage” being a total fiction – albeit a persistent one – life partners need to understand the risks they run in not putting into place both valid wills […]
Don’t let delays in the Master’s Office leave your family in financial distress
When you die your grieving loved ones could face cash flow problems unless you proactively take steps now to ensure that they will have access to enough ready funds for them to live comfortably whilst your estate is being wound up. Critically, all your bank accounts and other assets will be frozen and inaccessible to […]
Estate planning and Wills: A checklist to protect your family
“Don’t fear death, plan for it” (Anon) Amazingly, here we are in the middle of a deadly pandemic yet still some 70% – 80% of working South Africans are said to have no will in place. That’s crazy for two reasons – Without a will your loved ones are exposed When you die your grieving […]
COFFEE WITH US – Explaining how delaying legal processes can lead to loss of legal rights
Delaying legal processes can lead to loss of legal rights This month we are telling a story, not of “justice delayed being justice denied”, but of delayed legal processes which can lead to the loss of legal rights and denial of justice. Mrs Malinga died in 2016, leaving 2 sons, Daniel (34) and Sivuyile (19). […]