We are a boutique Fiduciary Company specializing in Wills and Deceased Estates. We are situated in Milnerton and have 4 (and growing) staff members, at present, with over 40 years of experience.
We are a member of FISA (Fiduciary Institute of South Africa), who are the watch-dog body over Fiduciary matters in the country. Paula Bongers, the owner of Proactive Wills & Estates, has achieved the FPSA Certificate (Fiduciary Practitioner of South Africa) and has been in business as a sole proprietor since 2002. To see more about the FPSA Qualification, click here.
INDIVIDUALS
Our aim is to support our clients through a difficult period, by taking off their hands the administration side of the estate when they lose a loved one. We know this is a challenging period for anyone to go through and are sensitive to the individual situation. We aim to keep our clients advised right through the process so that they are informed and we are always available if they should have any problems. Our advantage is that we have no Call Centre and real people answer our phones. Our average turn-around time for completing an estate is 9 – 12 months (in recent times this has risen to 16 months due to extended delays at Government Departments, from the date of issue of the Letters of Executorship to the Distribution of the Inheritance). We have built up contacts over the years at the Master’s office, SARS, and various financial institutions, as sometimes being able to contact someone inside the organization is the best way to get things done efficiently.
We work with various specialists in the field and can refer our clients in matters relating to setting up and running a Trust, tax issues and any legal matters.
We believe that managing an estate well starts with your Will and you can download a copy of our Will Application Form here. From this you will see that we go through the assets and liabilities with a client and look for any problem areas, i.e. insurance to cover any outstanding bond, the effect of minor children on your estate and the setting up of Testamentary Trusts where necessary, and general cash flow in the estate. Our Will appointments are structured so that the whole process is completed in one appointment, which usually takes approximately 1 hour, and the client leaves with a valid signed Will. We are also able to help you online should this be more convenient or should you live outside the Cape Town area.
BUSINESS OWNERS
As a business owner, you will receive all of the services above that an individual would receive. As an added benefit, we provide business owners with advice on business succession plans and we complete a Business Questionnaire with you. We discuss important areas with you relating to your business, i.e. who can manage your business if something happens to you, possible purchasers of your business, how will your bank account continue operating. In our experience, it is important to have a plan of action in place as you need to retain your customer base and reassure your clients.
REFERRAL RELATIONSHIPS
We work with various firms of attorneys and financial advisors, providing them with a Wills service for their clients and attending to the liquidation of any estates flowing from these Wills. We would be very happy to meet with you to discuss a mutually beneficial working relationship.
RADIO INTERVIEW
Click on the button below to listen to our radio interview on the procedure and importance of acquiring a Will.