Wills and Estate Planning Attorneys

IF YOU DIE WITHOUT A VALID WILL, THE LAW DECIDES WHO INHERITS. NOT YOU.

A will that does not meet the formalities is treated the same as no will at all, and that is a more common outcome than people think. Having one drafted properly takes less of your time than most people expect, and it is the difference between your family grieving and your family arguing.

Why Have An Attorney Draft It

With 60+ years of estate work behind us, we offer:

A will that will actually stand. The formalities are strict, and the most common mistakes are invisible until it is far too late to fix them. We see the consequences of a badly drafted will regularly, from the other side.
You choose your own executor. A will drafted for free elsewhere usually nominates the provider as executor. That is where the cost sits, because the executor’s fee is a percentage of the estate. We draft it so your family keeps that choice.
Advice on the whole picture, not just the document. Marriage regime, minor children, trusts and beneficiary nominations all interact. A will written in isolation from those is where families get caught.

What We Handle

✔ Drafting Your Will. Properly executed, correctly witnessed, and covering the things people forget until it matters.

✔ Estate Planning. Structuring what you leave behind so it passes efficiently, and so your family is not forced to sell something to pay for something else.

✔ Testamentary Trusts. Without one, an inheritance left to a minor child can end up held by the state’s Guardian’s Fund until they turn 18. A trust keeps it in the family’s hands.

✔ Guardianship and Minor Children. Nominating who raises your children is done in your will, and nowhere else.

✔ Reviewing or Updating an Existing Will. Marriage, divorce, a new child, a new property or a business all change what your will should say.

Already dealing with the estate of someone who has passed away? That is handled here.

Deadlines Are Critical, Act Now

There is no deadline on drafting a will, which is exactly why most people never get to it. What waiting actually risks:

Dying intestate, where a formula in the Intestate Succession Act decides who inherits, regardless of what you would have wanted

The Master appointing an executor your family did not choose and may not know

An inheritance for a minor child going to the Guardian's Fund instead of to the people raising them

An old will that no longer reflects a marriage, a divorce, a new child or a business you have since built

Let's Start Today

Every legal matter has a deadline — and delaying action could cost you money, rights, or peace of mind. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can start protecting what matters most to you.

Take control of your situation today.

"It's a real relief knowing that my family will be taken care of when I am no longer around to help."

– Satisfied Client

Have a question or ready to get started? Fill in the form below, and a member of our team will get back to you within 24 hours.

Wills and Estate Planning Attorneys

IF YOU DIE WITHOUT A VALID WILL, THE LAW DECIDES WHO INHERITS. NOT YOU.

With offices now in Durban and Cape Town, Berkowitz Cohen Wartski Attorneys is better positioned to assist clients across South Africa with accessible, professional legal services.