Lumina Executor Services

02/01/2026

09/09/2025

The end of the year is slowly creaping up and deadlines come and go. One of these is the writing of your will. "I will do it tomorrow, next week, when I have time..."

But when the time runs out, there are no second chances, do overs or opportunities to explain what your final wishes are.

Do not delay! It is a few minutes of your time to give you peace of mind and to ensure that your wishes are heard when it matters the most.

Feel free to contact us so that we can assist:
[email protected]
012 368 1932

21/12/2020

Is your will in order? Does it state your last wishes? Are you traveling during the festive season?
Now is the time to contact us for advice on how to make sure that your estate is in order.

20/03/2019

The importance of the Executor of your estate: Your executor is nominated in your will and upon your death, he or she will administer and distribute your estate in accordance with your testamentary wishes. Importantly, although you nominate your executor, the executor is only appointed by the Master of the High Court through the issuing of Letters of Executorship after your death. Although it has become a regular practice to appoint a family member as executor, it should be kept in mind that, not only is executorship an onerous and complex task, but in terms of the regulations published by the Minister of Justice, only certain persons may administer estates for remuneration, for example practising accountants, practising attorneys and registered trust companies. Another alternative is to have family members nominated as co-executors together with an independent executor. However, this can create complexity which may hamper the speedy administration of your estate.

16/05/2018

Estate duty... how does it influence the estate?
An estate includes everything that a person owned before date of death, eg. property, cars, furniture, policies, unit trusts, shares, etc. Estate duty is payable if the nett worth of the estate is in excess of R 3,5 million. The first R 30 million is charged at a rate of 20%, and after that at 25%. There are however other factors that may have an influence on the estate duty payable, and therefor it is recommended to consult a financial expert to assist in this matter.

31/01/2018

Should there be a testamentary trust in my will?
It is always a good idea to have a testamentary trust in place as it protects any inheritance to minors in your will. Even if all your heirs are majors (above 18), they may be predeceased and their inheritance will then go to their lawful issue by representation (their children) that might be minors.If there is no testamentary trust in place all inheritance to minors will go to the Government's Guardian Fund, from where the guardian of the minor must apply for funds when needed.

09/11/2017

What is a digital will?
In today's day and age we are all connected to social media via Facebook, twitter, bank accounts, Paypal accounts, music libraries etc. This digital footprint will live on for years after you pass away.
A digital will can protect your privacy rights. It doesn't have to be a legal document like your final will, but is a list of all your digital information - where it is stored, usernames, email addresses connected to it and passwords.
Do not include your passwords and other digital asset access information in your Last Will and Testament, as your will becomes a public document when you pass away, and can be read by anybody. Rather refer to an outside document that contains all the necessary information needed to settle your digital estate.

19/09/2017

How do I know if my will is valid...
There are a few points that are very important when finalising your will to make sure that it is excepted by the Master of the High Court. Your will must be correctly signed - all pages must be signed by the testator/testatrix and two witnesses. These witnesses may not benefit from the will. If the testator/testatrix is not able to sign the will due to disability, a mark/fingerprint would be accepted on condition that a Commissioner of Oaths witness and certify each page. It is vital to date your will as this will determine your latest and final wish.

29/07/2017

The Importance of a will...
Did you know that approximately 86% of South Africans haven’t made plans for their death? For some reason setting up our last will and testament makes us think about our own mortality, and so we tend to put it off. All too often though, this is only attended to when we know that we are about to die from a life threatening disease.
If you don’t have a Will in place when you pass away, you die ‘intestate’. What then happens is the courts take over and create a ‘Will’ on your behalf, according to the laws of the country, and divide the assets between the spouse and children. While all this is happening, funds for your burial and loved one’s day-to-day expenses can be frozen for months by the court if your bank and brokerage accounts are in your name only. Apart from the time-consuming hassle and inconvenience you are going to put your loved ones through, dying without a Will could also result in costing the Estate thousands in unnecessary expenses.
Contact us to help you with your estate planning as well as creating a will that will ensure that your final wishes are met and your loved ones are well looked after.