Getting this wrong might have your loved ones end up in court
I gave instructions to my attorney to prepare a Will for me as my most recent Will no longer reflected my wishes. My attorney emailed the Will to me with clear instructions as to how I should go about signing the Will. I asked my neighbours to act and sign as witnesses. My neighbours signed the Will on all the pages and […]
Authenticating documents for use outside SA
If you need to use official South African documents in another country, it is necessary that they are legalised for use abroad. This can be for any number of reasons, such as legalising university degrees for a job in another country. What is legalisation? Legalising documents means that official (public) documents executed within South Africa for […]
Why is an independent trustee important?
A well-known court case, Land Bank of South Africa vs JL Parker and Two Others (the Parker case) irrevocably changed the requirements for independent trustees to be appointed and placed renewed focus on the duties and responsibilities of all trustees. What is an independent trustee? . As a result of the Parker case, most Masters […]
How to register an inter-vivos trust?
In South Africa there are mainly two types of trusts that are registered. An inter-vivos trust can be created between living persons, and a testamentary trust is created in the will of a deceased. An inter-vivos trust is registered at the office of the Master of the High Court in whose area of jurisdiction the […]
Managing disputes over a deceased relative’s estate
If someone leaves a sizeable estate behind, it may cause conflict among the possible heirs. The help of an attorney, when settling an estate after a death, can avoid unnecessary troubles. The Administration of Estates Act, 1965, determines what must happen with an estate after a person’s death. There are certain steps that should be […]