last will and testament
Executor’s fees are regulated by statute and are set at a maximum of 3.5% (plus VAT) on the value of the gross assets in your estate plus 6% of income accrued and collected after your death. However, in many instances,
Depending on the terms of the divorce order, you may need to move off your ex-spouse’s medical aid and register as the principal member of your own medical aid. This may be a good time to completely reassess your healthcare
If you’re suffering from a terminal illness, planning for your end-of-life medical care will no doubt be important for you. An advance healthcare directive is a comprehensive document that allows you to make decisions about your medical care and to
Another legal requirement for the validity of your will is that you must sign in full at the bottom of each page, while your witnesses must sign in full at the bottom of the last page as close to your
Once you make contact with the executor, be prepared for a preliminary meeting with her as she will be required to prepare a rudimentary list of your spouse’s assets and liabilities for submission to the Master, which must be accompanied
Tax planning is an important part of your overall estate plan, and it’s important to factor in the various taxes that your estate may be liable for. Keep in mind that your death will trigger a capital gain meaning that,
A power of attorney is a formal document by which a person (the principal) authorises another (the agent) to conclude juristic acts on his behalf. By signing a power of attorney, the principal indicates to third parties that he will
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
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
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
