The Kimberley High Court recently handed down judgment in the matter of Mokgoro N.O. // The Master of the High Court, Kimberley ZANCHC 60 (1 August 2025). The applicants were in pursuit of an order to compel the Master of Kimberley (the First ...
Protect Your Family’s Assets with Effective Estate Planning
Make sure your assets are managed and distributed according to your wishes. Estate planning is an important step in protecting your family's future and avoiding any unnecessary complications. Here’s a simple guide to the key steps involved in the ...
Testamentary Trusts vs. Inter vivos Trusts
In an era of economic uncertainty and evolving tax laws, South Africans are increasingly turning to trusts to safeguard their assets. But with options such as testamentary and inter vivos trusts, how do you choose the right one? What are they? ...
Estate Duty and the Importance of Due Diligence in Estates
Estate planning is the cornerstone of financial security, ensuring that your assets are distributed according to your wishes while minimizing tax liabilities for your heirs. In South Africa, estate duty, is governed by the Estate Duty Act (“the A ...
Drafting your last Will and Testament should be your first priority
There are two key pieces of legislation which govern the manner in which a deceased estate it devolved upon death, namely the Intestate Succession Act 81 of 1987 (“Intestate Succession Act”) and the Wills Act 7 of 1953 (“Wills Act”). In this pape ...
Understanding living wills
When one thinks of a will, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a last will and testament. This type of will expresses a person’s wishes after they have died. However, a living will, despite sharing some similarities with a last will and t ...
DRAFTING YOUR LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT SHOULD BE YOUR FIRST PRIORITY
There are two key pieces of legislation which govern the manner in which a deceased estate it devolved upon death, namely the Intestate Succession Act 81 of 1987 (“Intestate Succession Act”) and the Wills Act 7 of 1953 (“Wills Act”). In this paper ...
IS IT BENEFICIAL TO CREATE A TRUST?
A Trust can be described as a legal relationship which has been created by the founder, who places assets under the control of Trustees. This either happens during the founder’s lifetime (inter vivos trust) or at the death of the founder (testamentar ...