Administration of Estates

The administration of an estate involves the management of a person’s assets after death. Usually an executor is appointed by the deceased in his or her will and the task of the executor is to finalise the estate in terms of prescribed statutory provisions under the supervision of the Master of the High Court. Debts must be paid and the assets distributed to the heirs after an account has been approved by the Master.
Whilst legal practitioners are ideally placed and trained to administer estates, many trust companies, banks and financial service providers regard it as lucrative and market their estate services aggressively. When drafting a will, great care must be taken not to appoint commercial or other entities as executor in your estate. An executor has great power and subsequent to death, if an entity such as a bank has been appointed, the funds may be frozen, leaving widows and dependents destitute pending finalization of the estate.
If a family member is appointed as executor they usually are not trained to administer the estate but may appoint an attorney to act on their behalf. Banks and trust companies usually take very long in dealing with estates and enquiries by heirs and dependents are cumbersome.
Christo Smith Attorneys provide specialised deceased estate services and deal promptly and effectively with estate matters. We can advise you on administration of the estate of your loved one and can cost effectively guide you through the process.