Wills
We truly believe that the process of drawing up your Will should be a life-enhancing exercise that affords you and your family peace of mind. It is so much more than just dividing your assets, but rather a living document that is instrumental in helping you leave a lasting legacy. We provide you with an opportunity to assess the plans you have for your life and the legacy you wish to leave and ensure that the correct processes and structures are in place in order to make your legacy binding and real.
Facilitation
Our team of lawyers, wealth strategists and life planners specialise in facilitating any uncomfortable family discussions that you may need to have in order to avoid family tensions and disputes which can arise over issues surrounding inheritances after your passing. This will enable you to pre-empt future family disagreements and disputes that have been known to divide families for generations. Hereby you will be giving your family a great gift by making your wishes known and understood before your passing.
Executorship services
The appointment of the executor of your estate is a fundamental one. Any competent person can be appointed as your executor ranging from your spouse, family members, friends or your lawyer. Legislation however requires that an executor obtains the assistance of a lawyer to actually wind up the estate.
The passing of a loved one is an emotional time for the family and the last thing you want to deal with is the administration thereof and reporting the estate to the Master. We will facilitate this process for you and ensure that it is handled as smooth and quickly as possible, whilst you can focus on your family and their emotional needs. The strong relationship that we’ve nurtured with our clients over the years, enables us to have a sound knowledge of their estates, as well as their family members and gives us the unique opportunity to take all circumstances and challenges into account in the winding up process. The family will be updated and advised along the way and where possible, joint decisions will be made in conjunction with them and the dependants pertaining to their respective financial positions.
Trusts
Drafting and Registration
As stated above, optimal tax structuring of your estate is of fundamental importance as there could be financial and tax advantages to setting up and registering a trust. This will also enable you to lower your risk and protect your assets.
Apart from the above advantages, a trust can ensure that your legacy wishes are met by giving specific instructions to your trustees that needs to be adhered to, for example an educational trust for your children, a scholarship at your Alma Mater or funding a charity close to your heart.
The main reason for setting up a trust is however mostly for parents to provide for a mechanism to manage their assets for the benefit of their children/family upon their passing, especially where minor children are involved. In such instance, the assets will be managed by the trustees of your choosing.
We are in a unique position to advise on your trust structures, as we already have a thorough understanding of your personal and financial circumstances.
Administration
Trusts are excellent estate planning tools but they need to be properly administered in order to be effective. The terms of the Trust Deed must to be adhered to and certain legal requirements must be met on an annual basis. We will ensure that the necessary meetings are held and all resolutions are recorded, as well as assist with the resignation and appointment of new trustees and any amendments to the Trust Deeds.
Trusteeship
The appointment of a trustee on your trust is of vital importance and it should be someone with both financial and legal expertise, that you can also trust and respect. The trustees will manage the trust for the benefit of the beneficiaries and it is their responsibility to make informed financial decisions pertaining to the assets.
Our financial and legal expertise as well as in depth knowledge of your personal and financial circumstances, puts us in a unique position in order to assist the other trustees on both these fronts.
