Start with the core identity and family records
The first step is to collect the records that confirm who you are, who is involved and how the family is connected. This helps us check names, marriage regimes, dependants and any legal or practical links that affect your plan.
If there are blended families, second marriages, adopted children, or dependants living in different provinces, please include those details as well. Small differences in spelling or old ID numbers can slow things down, so it is worth checking the basics first.
- Copies of ID documents for the person planning, spouse and key family members
- Marriage certificate, antenuptial contract or divorce order if relevant
- Birth certificates for children or dependants
- Death certificates where an estate is already involved
- Proof of current residential address
Bring your current wills, trust papers and estate documents
When we review estate planning, we need to see the latest signed versions, not just the first draft or an old summary. If you have more than one will, or if a trust was set up years ago and never checked again, please bring everything together so we can see what still applies.
For families with assets in different provinces, or offshore holdings, the document trail matters even more. It helps us see where the estate plan is clear and where there may be a gap that could cause delay later on.
- Latest signed will and any codicils
- Trust deed and any amendments
- Letters of authority or letters of executorship if already issued
- Signed resolutions, trustee minutes and trust bank details where available
- Any older estate planning summaries or instruction letters
List every asset, debt and ownership detail you can find
A good plan starts with a full picture of what is owned, what is owed and in whose name each item sits. This includes the home in Stellenbosch, a flat in Cape Town, a business share, a vehicle, a rental property, or savings held in separate accounts. Without this list, it is easy to miss something that affects liquidity or distribution.
If assets are held jointly, through a trust, or inside a company, note that clearly. We also need to know whether any property is bonded or whether there are sureties on a business loan.
- Recent statements for bank and investment accounts
- Property title details and bond statements
- Vehicle finance agreements where relevant
- Loan agreements, suretyships and business debt records
- Share certificates, partnership agreements or shareholder documents
Gather retirement, risk and income planning statements
Retirement income planning works best when we can see what funds are available, how income is currently drawn and what risk cover is in place. This is especially useful for business owners who may have personal policies, company benefits and retirement funds all working together. A missing statement can change the outcome, so the more current the better.
If you are already drawing an income, include details of what was paid in the last 12 months. If you are still working, bring benefit information from your employer or business records.
- Pension, provident or retirement annuity statements
- Living annuity or income drawdown statements
- Investment portfolio statements
- Policy schedules for life, disability and severe illness cover
- Employer benefit summaries or payroll records where relevant
Add business and succession records for owners and directors
For entrepreneurs, succession planning often sits partly inside the business and partly in the family plan. We look at who owns what, what happens if someone dies or becomes unable to act, and how the business would keep trading through that period. In a close company or family business, this is usually where the most questions come up.
Please include any agreements that affect control, value or transfer. If there are multiple family members involved, it helps to know who is active in the business and who is not.
- Memorandum of Incorporation or company rules
- Partnership agreement or shareholder agreement
- Latest financial statements and management accounts
- Key-person cover details and buy-and-sell arrangements
- Any family constitution or succession notes, if available
Use a simple checklist before your review meeting
Before the meeting, put the documents into one folder or scan them into one place, then label each file clearly. A neat file makes it easier for our team in Stellenbosch to prepare, whether your review is in person, by video, or for family members joining from Johannesburg, Durban or the Cape Town area.
You do not need to panic if something is missing. We can still start the conversation and note what must be fetched later. The aim is to reduce stress, not create more of it.
- Make one folder for personal, one for estate, one for business and one for retirement records
- Check that names and ID numbers match across documents
- Mark anything that is outdated, missing or unsigned
- Write down any recent family changes, sales, divorces or deaths
- Bring questions about trustees, beneficiaries, executors and income needs
