Looking for trusted estate and fiduciary guidance?

In South Africa, anyone aged 16 or older can make a will. If someone depends on you, or there are things you want to go to a particular person, it is worth doing now rather than later.

Your estate is divided under the Intestate Succession Act, a fixed set of rules about who inherits. You do not get to choose your heirs, your executor or a guardian for your children, and winding up the estate usually takes longer.

A template cannot take your family or your assets into account, and one missed formality can make the whole will invalid. A professional makes sure your will is clear, valid and does what you intend.

Your will must be in writing and you must sign every page. Two competent witnesses, aged 14 or older, must sign in your presence and in each other's presence. Witnesses should not be people who inherit under the will. A professional checks every formality so nothing is left to chance.

You can name a family member, a friend, a bank, an attorney or a fiduciary practitioner. An executor carries real legal responsibility for your estate, so choose someone you trust who has the time and the knowledge, or a professional.

If you are Muslim and want your estate divided according to Islamic law, yes. South African law will not apply the Islamic rules of inheritance on its own, so your will needs to set them out clearly and still meet every legal formality.