What is a Probate Process? 

The English noun “probate” derives directly from the Latin verb probare, which means to try, test, prove, or examine.  In legal terms, probate is the process completed when someone leaves assets to distribute after their death, such as possessions, real estate, bank accounts and financial investments. Probate is the general administration of a deceased person’s will or the estate of a deceased person without a will. England and South Africa have very similar probate processes, and South Africa is recognised under the UK’s Colonial Probate Act. In South Africa the terminology is slightly different in regard to certain probate documents. For example, the equivalent of the British “Grant of Probate” is called a “Letter of Executorship”.

A Letter of Executorship is issued by the Master of the High Court, when an estate has a value above R250 000 and serves to confirm the appointment of the executor. Under normal circumstances, the Master can take up to 6 weeks to issue an appointment letter provided that all the correct and relevant documents have been submitted.

A Letter of Authority confirms the appointment of the Master’s Representative and can be issued for an estate with a value less than R250 000, according to Section 18(3) of the Administration of Estates Act. A Letter of Authority empowers a person to administer the deceased estate without following the full procedure set out in the Act, leading to an informal and more cost-effective estate administration process will be followed.

An executor is commonly named in the will or an administrator, if there is no will, to complete the probate process. This involves collecting the deceased’s assets to pay any remaining liabilities on their estate and distributing the assets to beneficiaries.  The probate process, which formally allows the distribution of a decedent’s assets, can be time consuming, but when you have a valid will in place, the probate process can usually move more quickly than without a will. The process can be time consuming and may leave your heirs with higher court costs and legal fees than would be the case if you had a will.

You have a few options, like establishing a trust, having a Living Will, granting Power of Attorney, and setting up a Health Care Proxy to consider.

• A Trust is an entity with legal authority to manage your assets and distribute them according to your wishes. You will appoint a trustee to oversee the trust.
• A Living Will acts as a type of healthcare directive to instruct your doctors and loved ones on how to handle medical decisions, should you ever become incapacitated.
•  A Power Of Attorney is a document authorises someone to act on your behalf and is used in cases where you are unavailable or unable to make decisions.  A ‘durable’ power of attorney means it survives your incapacity.
• A Health Care Proxy is also known as as “a health care power of attorney”, and allows you (as a patient) to appoint an agent to make health care decisions on your behalf, should that become necessary.

Distribution of your possessions and assets could be relatively uncomplicated if your spouse is the sole beneficiary, but if you wish to give some money to a few charity organisations and then have the balance divided among relatives and friends, you will need to involve a competent legal professional to ensure that your wishes are carried out without ambiguity.

Apart from potentially speeding up the probate process, a will has the following benefits:

• Assign guardianship. A will allows you to decide who takes responsibility for your children and pets.
• Tax implications. The value of what you give away can help minimize estate taxes.
• Peace of mind. With a will in place, family conflict can be minimised.

Remember that a will should be revisited from time to time, especially in cases where life events change your circumstances. These would include at least the following:

• Acquiring or selling a large asset (a vacation home, valuable artwork, etc.)
• When you get married or divorced
• Having a child, or when your children leave home or pass away

Everyone can benefit from a will, regardless of their assets. Not everyone needs a complex will or formal estate plan, but if you have fairly extensive assets or complex plans for distributing your property, you may want to seek out professional help to draft the documents. Individual financial circumstances and preferences vary widely and often don’t match up to pre-determined templates or forms that are freely available on the internet so it is best to work with attorneys that are experienced in their field. The team of experts at AED Attorneys can advise your family on the process, assist you in getting the paperwork right and give you peace of mind that your last wishes will be carried out as you have intended.

AED Attorneys understands that every situation is unique, and although they strive to ensure that the information contained herein is accurate at the time of publishing, it cannot be guaranteed to be without errors or omissions. As a result, AED Attorneys, its employees, independent contractors, associates or third parties will under no circumstances accept liability or be held liable for any innocent or negligent actions or omissions in this article, which may result in any harm or liability flowing from the use of or the inability to use the information provided.