Protect their legacy

Home > Estate Administration

Estate Administration

Three steps to peace: Compassionate estate administration, handled for you

Read More
  • Are you feeling...?

Estate Administration that gives you absolute peace of mind

  • Overwhelmed by SARS and Master’s Office requirements?
  • Confused by incomplete documentation or family conflict?
  • Worried about protecting your children’s inheritance?
  • Overwhelmed by SARS and Master’s Office requirements?
  • Confused by incomplete documentation or family conflict?
  • Worried about protecting your children’s inheritance?
  • Proven Experience in Estate Administration

Losing a loved one is hard enough without the shock of an unresolved estate, frozen joint assets, or the stress of securing your children’s future. At Excall Legacy, we step into the complexity so you don’t have to face the legal burden alone.

Losing a loved one is hard enough without the shock of an unresolved estate, frozen joint assets, or the stress of securing your children’s future. At Excall Legacy, we step into the complexity so you don’t have to face the legal burden alone.

Clarity

A clear roadmap through the legal fog.

Protection

Safeguarding assets and minor interests.

Space

The freedom to grieve while we handle the 'hassle.'

  • What are the benefits of using Excall for estate administration?

At Excall Legacy, we believe estate administration is personal. As a boutique consultancy, we intentionally limit our caseload to ensure your family receives our undivided attention and expert care.

We handle the entire legal and administrative burden, from the Master’s Office to SARS, allowing you the space to focus on your family.

Our approach combines meticulous detail with proactive communication, ensuring your loved one’s legacy is settled with the dignity and efficiency it deserves.

As a boutique consultancy, we intentionally limit our caseload so your family receives our full, undivided focus.

We handle the complex legalities, SARS liaisons, and Master’s Office requirements so you can focus on grieving and healing.

From obtaining Letters of Executorship to the final distribution, we navigate the entire administrative journey for you.

We provide structure and clarity at every turn, ensuring you are never left wondering about the status of your loved one’s estate.

We treat every estate not as a file, but as a life, combining meticulous detail with genuine South African compassion.

  • PROCESS AND TIMEFRAMES

Estate Administration

  • Report Estate to the Master of The High Court
  • Receive Letter of Executor/Authority (1-6 weeks)
  • Open Estate Late bank Account. (1-2 weeks)
  • Collect all assets of the deceased (1- 6 weeks)
  • Section 29 Notice to creditors and debtors (30 days)
  • Pay all liabilities
  • Report Estate to SARS. (Deceased Estate Clearance)
  • Draft and submit the Liquidation and distribution account.
  • Await the query sheet from the master (1-6 weeks)
  • Delivery, Liquidation, and distribution account + Rev267 to the applicable Magistrate court to lay for inspection (21 days)
  • Place section 35 Notice account is lying for inspection (21 days)
  • Obtain the ME 31 / Master's approval to pay beneficiaries.
  • Pay Beneficiaries
  • Close Estate late bank account
  • Request filing slip from the Master upon finalising the estate.
Our Process
  • Your Estate, Our Guidance

Three steps to peace of mind

Understand

Listen, gather documents, explain the process clearly.

01

Manage

Handle all legal, financial, and administrative tasks.

02

Finalise

Distribute assets, provide updates, support families.

03

  • FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The executor’s fee is regulated by law and is up to 3.5% of the gross value of the estate, plus VAT (if applicable). In addition, an executor may charge 6% on income earned after date of death (e.g. rental or interest).

You are allowed to renounce your inheritance. However, you cannot renounce only part of your inheritance. If you renounce, it applies to your full inheritance.

The Master of the High Court considers a will based on its formal validity, not its content.
If the will complies with the Wills Act, it is accepted as a valid will.
If you want to challenge the validity or content of a will, this can only be done through the High Court.

Yes. You may leave property to more than one beneficiary, either in equal or unequal shares. This will result in co-ownership unless otherwise specified in the will. 

If you have minor children, it is very important to include a testamentary trust clause in your will.

A testamentary trust:

  • Holds the inheritance for your children
  • Is managed by trustees you appoint
  • Pays for education, maintenance, and care
  • Ends when children reach the age you choose

If no testamentary trust is included, the inheritance is paid into the Guardian’s Fund, which is managed by the government.

On average, estates take 6–18 months, depending on:

  • Complexity of the estate
  • Availability of documents
  • SARS and Master’s Office processes
  1. Original Will
  2. Death Certificate
  3. Id of the deceased
  4. List of all assets of the deceased
  5. Id of all beneficiaries
  6. Address of deceased and beneficiaries

Yes, a valid will must:

  • Be in writing (or typed)
  • Be signed by the testator/testatrix on each page (NOT ELECTRONICALLY)
  • Be witnessed by two competent witnesses present at the same time

If you are a beneficiary, the executor of the estate will contact you and inform you of your inheritance. If the executor is unable to locate you, your inheritance may be paid into the Guardians Fund. Funds paid into the Guardians Fund may be held for up to 30 years from the date on which they became claimable. If the funds are not claimed within this period, they may be forfeited to the State, subject to the applicable legal requirements.

A list of unclaimed funds held in the Guardians Fund is available on the Master of the High Court’s website.

If you know that you are an heir in a deceased estate, either in terms of a valid will or in accordance with the Intestate Succession Act, you should approach the executor of the estate to enquire about the administration process and the current status of the estate.


Please note that estate administration can take some time, and an inheritance will only become payable once the estate has been properly administered and all legal requirements have been met.

The executor will be able to provide you with updates regarding the process, estimated timelines, and when distributions to heirs are expected to take place.

After obtaining his BComm Management Sciences degree majoring in Investment Management and Financial Management, Ruan decided to study an additional year to include modules in Economics, Financial Accounting, and Marketing Management. In 2013 he decided to become a Financial Advisor at Hereford Group where he has achieved the following achievements to date: Mentoring and managing young advisers since 2015. Became the youngest Shareholder of the group in 2018 Won multiple awards of excellence and have always been in the top 3 performance for the Western Cape over the last decade Member of the MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table) Ruan is also a qualified representative on long- and short-term insurance products.

After obtaining his Honours in Accounting sciences (HCompt), whilst doing his SAICA articles at a small firm in Durbanville focusing on audits, trusts, and estates, Wouter joined the Star Motor Group of companies (now known as MyRide Group) where he was appointed as Financial Director and Operational Director of numerous subsidiaries. In 2013 he became a shareholder in the Group. Here he started Global Motor Administration with other partners, that provided and administered warranty products to the Star Motor Group and numerous other Motor groups. Due to his role in this company, he is also a Key Individual and a qualified representative for short-term insurance products. He decided to start his own Consulting, Accounting, and Tax Planning firm, that focuses on proper structural, financial planning, and tax assistance to Small and Medium enterprises that cannot afford a full-time Financial Manager in their Business. Wouter has been involved in trust management and estate planning since 2011.

After obtaining his Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Danie spent time developing his law skills in various law firms specializing in Labour law. He decided to start his own law consultancy firm, LE Consult Group, in 2009. LE Consult Group is a group of consulting specialists departments which include Labour Law and HR Solutions, Legal consulting specializing in commercial and compliance law, Trust & Fiduciary Services, and BEE Consulting & Advisory. He has been actively involved in trust administration since 2007 and also been assisting clients with estate planning and wills since 2012.