Having a Will is useful in more than one way, it firstly adds certainty to what will happen with your estate, secondly, it avoids the unnecessary troubles caused by intestate succession, and finally it ensures that your last wishes are known and your family and/or friends receive what you have intended to leave for them.

Draughting a Will with Vikela Wills is absolutely free and you can start the process today by chatting to one of our team members.

The Executor, who is appointed by the Testator in his Will, oversees the deceased estate distribution process.

• There are various types of Wills that can be drawn, the most popular ones being the Standard Last Will and Testament (Standard Will), The Joint Last Will and Testament (Joint Will) and The Trust Last Will and Testament (Trust Will).
• A Standard Will is straight forward, as it has only one Testator or Testatrix and does not make provisions for a Testamentary Trust.
• A Joint Will has more than one Testator or Testatrix and is thus most common amongst spouses married in community of property.
• A Trust Will is one which makes provision for a Testamentary Trust to be created if any of the beneficiaries are below a certain age, this is common amongst people who have young children.

Anyone can draw up a Will but be advised that a Will is a strong legal document which exists and remains in effect even after the Testator or Testatrix have passed away, it is therefore necessary to get the correct advice and have it drawn up by someone who is experienced and up to date with Wills, as well as the laws that regulate them.

As a rule of thumb, you should revisit your Will every six months. When revisiting your Will, look for changes in your estate and life, and corroborate them with the type of Will you have, as well as the contents of that Will.

A perfect example is when you draw a Standard Will in January 2021 and then have your first child in July 2021. When revisiting your Will, you need to be aware that a Trust Will is now necessary as you would need to make provisions for your child to be able to inherit.

It is extremely common for single individuals to think that they don’t need a Will until they have a family or substantial amounts of money and other assets. However, a Will can be useful even if you have a handful of assets. Some furniture, a car, any amount of savings are enough of a reason to have Will drawn up.

This Will can then be revised to include the in introduction of a significant other, the birth of a child and any additional assets that you acquire.

We recommend that each partner in a marriage prepare separate Wills that are planned together, these can be made cohesive and completement each other.
If you need help preparing a Will or revisiting your existing Will, contact us for expert guidance and assistance.