Deceased Estate Administration
The passing of a loved one is a traumatic time, made all the more stressful without planning or processes in place.
Carika Aucamp is our in-house specialist. She has 22 years of experience and a thorough understanding of the laws and processes required. You will receive personalised service to ensure the deceased state is handled with efficiency and compassion.
Estate Planning
‘Nothing is certain except death and taxes’ (Benjamin Franklin)
As with anything, preparation is key and can alleviate much of the stress, which is inevitable with the death of a loved one.
Estate planning involves setting up trusts, making a Will, naming executors, identifying beneficiaries, setting up funeral arrangements, and making charitable donations, all of which can reduce the impact of estate taxes.
- Naming the guardians for any dependents.
- Identifying an estate executor to manage the terms of the Will.
- Setting up a power of attorney to manage assets and investments.
- Setting up trust accounts in beneficiaries’ names to limit the impact of estate taxes.
- Make the funeral arrangements.
- Establish a mechanism for gifts to charities or non-profit organisations to reduce tax.
- Updating beneficiaries on policies such as life insurance, pensions, or investments.
Deceased Estate Administration Process
We will ensure all the legal processes are completed to maintain compliance, and do everything possible to prevent delays.
These are some of the essential services in our deceased estate administration process that will take the burden off the family:
- Getting your affairs in order and assessing your estate.
- Acting as the executor or assisting the executor to wind up the estate.
- Placement of statutory advertisements.
- Communication with the legal entities, such as the Master of the Supreme Court, SARS, debtors, creditors, and the heirs.
- Completion of final year SARS tax submission.
- Transfers of property.
- Distribution of assets.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Will is a legal document that specifies, in varying amounts of detail, who will inherit from the estate after the death of the owner.
It can include details of how belongings should be distributed, what sort of funeral is preferred, who should take custody of the children, or take care of any pets.
A Will is legally binding but needs to be prepared carefully and accurately so that its intentions are clear and unambiguous, and its validity and legality cannot be challenged.
You can write your own Will, but if the estate is large, or has complex assets tied up in multiple properties, businesses, or products, it is wise to have one drawn up by a solicitor or expert Will-writer. You should definitely use a professional Will-writing service if your wishes are complex and open to misinterpretation.
This is an important question, and the answer is a personal decision.
In our opinion, if you have a family then you should make a Will. If you have possessions that you want to pass on to somebody specific, whether they are a direct family member or not, then a Will is vital.
Have you decided how you want your property and possessions to be distributed when you die? Who will take care of your children? If you own a home, have you thought about how the bond will be paid? If you have step-children, or your children are adults with children of their own, have you thought about how your assets should be divided?
Thinking about it is not enough.
Your Will provides written instructions for all your wishes, tied up in a legal document that is clear and binding.
Why is it important to incur the effort and expense of a Will? Well, this is one of the most important documents that you’ll ever create and sign.
In the absence of a Will, the estate will be distributed under a strict set of rules, which could mean that the people you care about may not inherit from your estate.
Family and friends may then experience significant frustration, stress, unnecessary delays and uncontrollable costs, especially in the event of a legal claim against your estate.