Your will must always lie at the heart of your estate planning. But don’t concentrate solely on the financial wellbeing of your family after you are gone.
Advice
You will have to pay a variety of costs over and above the purchase price. What are those costs and when must you pay them?
Buying and selling a house is probably one of the most important financial transactions you will ever be involved in. Not to mention the emotional aspect of acquiring or letting go of your “home sweet home”.
The car you just bought on instalment sale turns out to be a complete lemon. But when you return it to the dealership and cancel the sale, the bank still enforces the finance agreement and sues you for damages.
If a dispute with your neighbour spirals out of control, and legal intervention becomes inevitable, bear in mind that our courts have signalled strongly that we should make every effort to settle our disputes privately before resorting to litigation.
Valentine’s Day isn’t just a great excuse to indulge in ruinously expensive red roses. It’s also a reminder that if you’re in a cohabitation arrangement, there will be financial implications – making it essential to check that your relationship’s legal aspects pass muster.
One wonders how many people trapped in unhappy marriages are put off applying for divorce by fear of what it will cost them. But there’s no need for that. An uncontested divorce needn’t cost much at all.
Hopefully 2026 will gift us some really positive movement in the property market. This is great news, but please note this cautionary tale from the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Your will is probably the most important document you will ever make, which is why it’s vital to understand that electronic wills are – despite media reports implying otherwise – not accepted by the Master of the High Court as valid.
As 2026 dawns with all its exciting new possibilities and opportunities, let’s not forget about all the annoying – but vital – legal aspects of our lives.