Estate planning Services

Estate planning is one step in a two-part process that lets you leave a legacy for your loved ones and have a say in what happens to your assets when you pass away. Estate administration is the second part and happens after you pass away.

There are at least six good reasons to do your estate planning with care:

1. It should form part of your personal finance portfolio, so it is a good idea not to procrastinate over it. Drafting a will should be your first step.
2. If you have minor children, estate planning lets you have a say in who looks after or raises them if you pass away before they turn 18, as you can make provision for the creation of a testamentary trust.
3. You can choose how your assets are distributed and make sure your wishes are carried out when you pass away. This includes large assets, like properties and vehicles, and could even cover pets.
4. With good estate planning, you could ultimately speed up the estate administration process after you pass away. If your documentation is in order, it makes it easier for your loved ones and heirs to inherit without unnecessary delays.
5. You could prevent the erosion of your estate and your legacy by making provision to cover unforeseen costs and thereby avoiding delays in the winding-up of your estate.
6. By neglecting to do estate planning and passing away without a will (‘intestate’), you have no say in any of the above. Instead, everything then happens according to a legal formula.

These are some of the practical reasons that make estate planning important and worthwhile. In addition to that, there is also the easing of the emotional burden on your loved ones at a difficult time in their lives.

Making the loss of a loved one easier is the driving force behind everything we do at Capital Legacy, SA’s #1 wills and estate specialists. Through our professional estate planning services, we have helped hundreds of thousands of South Africans with drafting a will, completely free of charge. We also offer unlimited amendments, as well as safe and secure storage of your will, all at no cost.

When you pass away, our experienced team will provide professional, compassionate, burden-free deceased estate administration services to your loved ones, if you have named us as executors when drafting a will.

Apart from expert estate administration services, we also help our clients cover unforeseen costs associated with winding-up an estate as part of our work as executors. Capital Legacy has pioneered a first-of-its-kind product that lets you protect (‘indemnify’) your estate and safeguard your legacy, called the Legacy Protection Plan^TM.

By using estate planning services, you can minimise the effects of inheritance tax on your estate and cover unforeseen costs. Also known as estate duty, inheritance tax can eat into your legacy, with potentially life-changing implications for your heirs and beneficiaries. Estate planning strategies such as establishing trusts, making use of tax-free allowances, and gifting assets during your lifetime can lessen the impact of inheritance tax and make a meaningful difference to the future of the people and things you care about.