Estate planning and administraton

Sometimes elderly people who are living happily in their own homes find themselves in a situation where they need a cash injection from an outside source to be able to finance things such as maintenance on the home, replace a motor vehicle, or pay for elective surgery, for example, because they do not have cash available in savings, and they cannot get a loan advance from a regular bank, because they do not have income flow to service the loan repayments.

We explain below some common terms and concepts that you may come across when dealing with the legal aftermath of a loved one’s death.

Judging by some comments read on social media, there are widespread public misconceptions about what happens with your assets if you die without having a will.

A new marriage or civil union will automatically invalidate a will unless the will was made in contemplation of that marriage or civil union.

Often, when acting on the administration of deceased estates, I am asked “What exactly is “probate”?”