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wills
30
Oct

Redistribution Agreement South Africa: Heirs’ Rights Explained

October 30, 2026, , ,
A will reflects the testator’s wishes at the moment it was signed, but it cannot always anticipate what will actually work best for the people left behind. A testator might leave the family home and a share portfolio to two different children in roughly equal value, only for one child to have no interest in...
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21
Oct

How to Register a Death With Home Affairs in South Africa: A Step-by-Step Guide

October 21, 2026,
Before an executor can be appointed, before a bank account can be frozen, and before any part of the deceased estate process can legally begin, one administrative step has to happen first: the death itself must be formally registered with the Department of Home Affairs. It sounds straightforward, but for families navigating this process for...
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15
Oct

Beneficiary Nominations on Life Insurance and Retirement Policies: Why They Override Your Will

October 15, 2026, ,
Most South Africans believe their will controls what happens to everything they own when they die. For life insurance policies and retirement fund savings, this is often not true at all. These assets are frequently governed by a separate, far less visible document: the beneficiary nomination form completed when the policy or fund membership began,...
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15
Oct

Bona Vacantia South Africa Explained: No Will, No Heirs

October 15, 2026, , ,
Most people assume that if they die without a will, their closest relatives will simply inherit everything. In the vast majority of cases, that’s true. South African law has a clear order of succession for anyone who dies intestate (without a valid will), and it covers spouses, children, parents, siblings and increasingly distant relatives before...
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07
Oct

Estate Planning for Blended Families in South Africa: Protecting Every Child Fairly

October 7, 2026, ,
South African families look different today than they did a generation ago. Second marriages, stepchildren, half-siblings and children from more than one relationship are now the norm rather than the exception. Yet most wills in South Africa are still drafted as if every family consists of one marriage and one set of children. That mismatch...
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18
Sep

The Guardian’s Fund: What Happens When a Minor Inherits in South Africa

September 18, 2026, ,
When a parent or grandparent dies and leaves something to a child under 18, most families assume the money simply sits safely until the child comes of age. What actually happens is more specific, and more restrictive, than most people expect. Unless a will directs otherwise, a minor’s inheritance in South Africa is paid into...
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02
Jul

7 Common Misconceptions About Wills in South Africa

July 2, 2026,
Most South Africans know that a will is important. Far fewer understand how a will actually works, and the gap between what people assume and what the law says can be costly, contentious, and deeply unfair to the people left behind. The misconceptions around wills are not fringe beliefs held by the uninformed. They are...
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19
May

Can You Successfully Contest a Will in South Africa?

May 19, 2026,
Can You Contest a Will in South Africa? A will is the clearest expression of a person’s final wishes. But what happens when family members believe the will does not reflect what the deceased truly intended — or that the document itself is flawed or fraudulent? The short answer is yes: a will can be...
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12
May

Trust vs Will: Which Is Essential for Your Estate in South Africa?

May 12, 2026,
When it comes to planning your estate in South Africa, you have two primary legal instruments at your disposal: a will and a trust. Both allow you to direct what happens to your assets when you die (or during your lifetime). Both have legitimate and important roles in estate planning. But they are not interchangeable,...
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