Van Zyl Retief

The difficulty of choosing a guardian

No parent wants to think about giving their child over to someone else. The idea itself is enough to send many into full Liam Neeson Taken mode, refusing even the idea of their child being taken away from them to find a hold in their minds. But what is it’s not your child that is taken away, […]

Get organised by putting these essential documents in place

If you can believe it, we are already at the end of January. With all the beginning-of-year struggles and excitement, there is something to keep in mind – your New Year’s resolutions. It is never too late to become better organised. One of the best ways to become better organised is to put life’s most […]

The validity of an e-will

In terms of South African law, for a will to be accepted as valid by the Master of the High Court (a statutory body to which deceased estates are reported), it must comply with the legal formalities as set out in section 1(a) of the Wills Act, 7 of 1953 (hereinafter referred to as the […]

How do our courts interpret wills and testaments?

It is trite that the law of succession aims to give effect to the wishes of the testator. Accordingly, when a person passes on and leaves a will or a testament, it is the duty of the court interpreting the will or testament to make an order that obeys the wishes of the testator as […]

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 […]

The basics of creating a Last Will & Testament

Who your property is passed on to depends on whether you have a valid will or not. If you do have a valid will, then your property will be divided according to your wishes stated therein. If you die without a will (called “intestate”), then your property will be divided amongst your immediate family according […]

Properly executing a will is extremely important

I gave instructions to my attorney to prepare a last will and testament for me as my will no longer reflected my wishes. At my request, my attorney emailed the will to me with clear instructions as to how I should go about signing it. I asked my neighbours to act and sign as witnesses. […]

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