Tag: EstatePlanning

There is something wonderfully optimistic about the word inheritance. It carries a sense of something gained without effort, simply handed down. A holiday home by the sea. A share in a property. Perhaps an investment that has been in the family for years. Then comes the small print. The holiday house is shared with your siblings.

In August I returned to East London for the 40th reunion of my class at Clarendon Girls’ High School. There is something wonderfully strange about seeing people again after four decades. Careers have been built, businesses started, families raised, countries crossed, and lives have taken turns none of us could possibly have predicted when we walked out of those school gates. And yet, within minutes, forty years seem to disappear.

National Wills Week may have ended on 18 September 2026, but the questions it raises remain relevant long after the campaign. A will is one of those tasks that many people intend to get around to “one day”. Yet, when that day comes, clear instructions can make an enormous difference to those left behind. You do not have to be wealthy, retired or a homeowner to need a will. You also do not necessarily need an attorney to draft one.

Safeguarding your family business for the next generation goes beyond just having a will - particularly when the family is dependent on income from the business. While the United Nations estimates that family-owned or managed businesses generate about two-thirds of global GDP and 60% of jobs, a successful business means far more than an income-producing asset for many South African families.

Women are often the glue that holds families together. They are caregivers, providers, planners and, increasingly, wealth creators. Yet while many spend their lives protecting others, they often overlook one equally important responsibility: protecting themselves and planning for the future of those who depend on them.

Most parents spend decades building generational wealth, but few spend the time preparing the next generation to manage it. That is often where things fall apart. We are very good at transferring assets, but we are not good at transferring judgment.

Preparing your children for wealth starts long before an actual inheritance. You need to prepare them to manage it with responsibility and perspective. As financial advisers, we spend a great deal of time helping people build and preserve wealth. I have worked with numerous clients who have spent decades building businesses from scratch and managing investment portfolios.

When two architects design the same house independently, they do not create a stronger house. Instead, they create misaligned foundations. Every now and then, a client tells me they use two financial advisers. The explanation is almost always the same. They value a variety of opinions and feel more comfortable knowing multiple professionals oversee their wealth.

Death has no diary. It does not wait for neat files, updated passwords, or family harmony. It arrives when it arrives. And when it does, the executor steps in. In theory, it is a straightforward appointment. In practice, it is anything but. I have seen firsthand how often people underestimate this role. Appointing an executor is not a box-ticking exercise. It is one of the most important decisions in an estate plan. Yet it remains one of the least interrogated.

Most parents assume that leaving money to their children is enough to secure their future. However, how an inheritance is structured matters just as much as what is left behind. Without careful planning, children can become financially vulnerable. This vulnerability often stems from how assets are managed after a parent’s death, rather than from a lack of assets.