Happy Women’s Day for tomorrow!

In celebration of Women’s Month I wanted to share an article that focuses specifically on a financial planning aspect that is often overlooked for women. Recently, the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa (Fisa) discussed some important financial planning considerations for women that highlighted the need for an up-to-date will.

It is estimated that at least half of the estates reported at the Master’s Office each year are of people who died intestate (without a will). This is largely due to the fact that South Africans often don’t see the need to draft a will, especially when they are relatively young or don’t have a significant asset base.

It is important to note that men and women living together are not automatically treated as ‘married’ under the law in case of intestacy. Couples who live together without getting married often assume that the law treats them as married, this is not necessarily the case.

The bottom line? You need your own will and have to understand the implications of your partner’s estate planning.

Fisa often finds that where a woman does not have a lot of assets, or leads a busy life, proper estate planning is neglected. Where estate planning is done, it is important to not only consider current circumstances, but to plan for the future.

The Intestate Succession Act applies to every South African who dies without a will and stipulates that the estate should be divided according to a specific formula. If the person was involved in a relationship other than marriage, the type of relationship will determine whether the partner will be allowed to inherit.

In terms of the Act partners need to be regarded as a “spouse” in order to inherit in the case of intestacy, but the term is not defined in the Act. As a result, other legislation and court cases have to be consulted for an explanation.

Historically, a marriage entered into in terms of the Marriage Act was the only recognised spousal relationship, but with the introduction of the Constitution, the legal system acknowledged that people in other types of relationships were entitled to protection.

Williams says as a start, legislation was passed in the form of the Customary Law of Succession Act and parties to traditional marriages under black customary law are now regarded as spouses when dealing with an intestate estate.

Court cases have also extended the definition of a spouse in this context to include monogamous Muslim and Hindu marriages and polygamous Muslim marriages.

In terms of a Constitutional court ruling, same-sex partners are also regarded as spouses for purposes of intestate succession.

The law allows parties to have a joint will, but Fisa usually advises against it. There have been isolated instances where the surviving spouse dies and the Master’s Office battles to trace the original will that also applies to the surviving spouse.

It is crucial for partners in a relationship to ensure that they draft wills to protect one another.

If you would like some advice on how to go about setting up your will, I’d be happy to advise you on this.

* This content was sponsored by the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa.

Source: moneyweb