More than 75% of South Africans pass away without a valid Will in place…
This week is National Wills Week, which means that this is the perfect opportunity to review your Will or to have one drafted for free by us. With more than 75% of South Africans passing away without a valid will we would like to decrease these statistics and make sure that your last wishes are fulfilled.
Passing from this world is inevitable, and it’s vitally important that you plan accordingly for when you do. Through estate planning and creating a Will, you can ensure that your assets and personal possessions are distributed the way you want and that your family and loved ones are provided for. This privilege is called “freedom of testation”.
Without a valid Will, your assets will be distributed amongst your family members in terms of the laws of intestate succession, which also causes enormous delays in the winding up of your estate. You spend your life building up your assets thus you should be the one to decide how your assets are distributed!
An intestate estate still requires an executor, which means that the government would have to appoint an executor to wind up your estate. This could cause adversity for your family as the executor appointed by the government would be an outsider that may not know your family or your personal circumstances.
Why you should have a Will
- You get to decide how your assets and personal possessions (with monetary or sentimental value) are distributed
- You can appoint a Guardian for your minor children to assist with the management of their assets and finances until such time as they can attend to it themselves
- Without a Will you cannot set up a Testamentary Trust to receive assets or cash on behalf of your minor children, which means that their assets will be sold and managed by the Master of the High Court in the Government Guardians Fund
- Might eliminate any confusion, frustration or family feuds between your loved ones as you would have your last wishes documented
- An executor is appointed by you and not the government
How we will assist you
- At Optima Financial Advisors, not only is your Will drafted for free by a qualified attorney, we will also have it stored for safekeeping at no additional charge
- You are also able to make changes at any stage should the need arise – at no cost to you.
- We are also able to assist with the drafting of a Living Will
- We promise to deliver prompt and efficient administration of your estate
Please don’t procrastinate, contact us to draft or review your Will. ”