heir

In the absence of an estate plan, problems could arise in the deceased’s estate if there are insufficient liquid assets to honour the deceased’s bequests. In order to pay the bequests, the executor may need to realise assets in the

The death of the first-dying spouse is regarded as a disposal for capital gains tax purposes. Where the first-dying spouse bequeaths his/her share of the joint estate to the surviving spouse, the surviving spouse is treated as having obtained the

From an estate planning perspective, there are several mechanisms available to reduce estate duty liabilities and, in turn, maximise the inheritance for your loved ones.

A per stirpes clause, or by representation clause, is a legal stipulation included in a will that requires that if a beneficiary dies before you, that beneficiary’s share of the inheritance will pass to his/her heirs.

To avoid any doubt or confusion as to who the testator is, make sure that your will includes your full name and ID number. Many families make use of family names that get past through generations resulting in multiple members

When drafting your will, it is important to understand the difference between your heirs and legatees. If you name a person in your will who would not otherwise inherit in terms of intestate succession, that person is known as a

The general principle of the accrual system is that each spouse is entitled to take out the asset value that he/she brought into the marriage, and whatever is built together during the subsistence of the marriage is shared equally. So,

In theory, your bank accounts should be frozen in the event of your death. However, in practice, there is generally a delay between your death and the appointment of your executor whose job it is to notify your financial institutions

Through a Living Will, you can request that certain medical treatment aimed at prolonging your life can be withheld in circumstances where there is no hope of your survival, such as if you are in an irreversible vegetative state with