Administration of Deceased Estates
Our Estates Department attends to the drawing of comprehensive and detailed wills customised to suit our clients’ particular needs and wishes. We are equipped to efficiently handle the complicated issue of Estate Administration in accordance with the current legal requirements.
At Stowell & Co we emphasise the importance of every person having a Will and in particular where they own property, in order to ensure that their estate devolves in accordance with their wishes and not in accordance with the laws of intestate succession.
A death in the family normally leaves one unprepared and the Stowell & Co Estates Department will manage the administration of an estate professionally, sensitively and efficiently to enable the family to move on with their lives. Our Estates attorneys will remove the burden of the estate administration from you and you will be kept informed of what processes are taking place and what to expect during the administration process. The time required to wind up an estate will differ according to the assets and liabilities involved in the estate.
The Executor of the estate is the key person who is responsible for managing the estate and who has a number of tasks to manage, namely:
- Report the Estate to the Master of the High Court and arrange appointment of the Executor
- Administer the estate according to legal requirements
- Identify all the beneficiaries of the estate
- Collect, control and preserve the estates assets
- Pay the debts of the estate
- Prepare and submit the final Income Tax Return and Liquidation and Distribution Account
- Distribute the balance of the assets of the estate to the beneficiaries
For more information please contact Tracy Cameron or Leanne Berriman (leanneb@stowell.co.za).