Estate planning and the ensuing execution of those plans are of vital importance in South Africa, especially during Wills Week. However, settling a deceased estate, depending on its intricacy and adherence to legal standards, can span from a few months to several years. The weight of this duty often falls on professional executors, who must not only handle legal technicalities but also the sensitive nature of bereavement.
Professional executors typically require ID verification, lineage confirmation, property ownership and valuation details as well as vehicle owner and valuation information. In more complex estates, where the deceased has no will or it is outdated, there is a risk that valuable assets may be inadvertently omitted from the estate planning and execution process.