David Knott of Private Client Trust explains how unmarried couples can protect themselves in the unfortunate event that one partner dies. Many unmarried couples mistakenly believe that they are protected as “common law” spouses. However, South...

Previous Articles
Godparent vs Guardian: debunking the myths
By David Thomson, Senior Legal Adviser at Sanlam Trust Whether you are a godparent or you’ve asked someone else to be your child’s godparent, do you have clarity on what the term actually means? There is a critical difference between a godparent and a legal guardian...
Common mistakes when drafting a Will and how they impact your wishes
By Kezia Talbot, Legal Advisor and Remay de Kock, Legal Adviser at BDO SA. It is officially National Wills Week. Wills can get quite tricky – there are several common mistakes that are made when drafting a Will that can have a serious impact on your wishes. One of the...
Can a mistress inherit from a married man’s estate?
Marilyn Monroe, Marla Maples, Michelle McGee, and Kristen Stewart – all successful women in their own right, with one controversial commonality – they were mistresses to married men. The term ‘mistress’ is an inflammatory one – a name as complicated as its legal...
How to stick to your financial resolutions
The secret to a successful resolution is to keep it simple and to break it down to something manageable. Financial change starts one step at a time. Instead of saying “I am going to be debt free,” rather select one debt that you are committed to paying off in 2017. If...
Spouses need to review their finances
Changes to the taxation of estates could leave a surviving spouse with a hefty tax bill. Last month the Davis Tax Committee (DTC) issued an update on its tax recommendations especially around so-called “death taxes”. Some of the key recommendations are to remove...
Don’t get caught out by a poorly thought-out Will
By David Knott, fiduciary expert at Private Client Trust Buying insurance, and drafting and updating your Will, can be put next to each other on the list of things that we don’t really want to do, and often put off doing. For many of us insurance is a grudge purchase,...
Sort out your admin
In the final episode of Change in your Pocket, we highlight the importance of dealing with various admin issues before you get married. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6attRo6UGUQ&feature=youtu.be – Video supplied by BrightRock Welcome to the Change Exchange, where...
Should I put my assets in a family trust?
Lebo writes: My brother has suggested that I form a family trust and put my house, car and investments into it in order to protect them. Is this a good idea? Frank Magwegwe, head of Momentum Personal Adviser Services at Momentum Retail replies: Trusts are very...
Understand your marriage contract
Many couples underestimate the importance of their marriage contract, and the implications it has in the case of death or divorce. Watch Episode 16 of the Change in your Pocket series for a detailed explanation of the various marriage contracts....
The ins and outs of a buy and sell agreement
Tanya Lochner of Glacier Fiduciary Services discusses a buy and sell agreement as an exit strategy where there are two or more partners in a business. A business needs to prepare for the event of one or more of the partners dying or becoming disabled. Putting a buy...