Wills and Estates Terms

Beneficiary

A person or entity entitled to benefit under a will, trust, estate, policy, nomination, or other legal arrangement.

Codicil

A document that amends, adds to, or confirms part of an existing will while leaving the rest of the will in place.

Curator

A person appointed to manage or protect another person's property, affairs, or interests where the law or a court process requires it.

Deceased estate

The assets, liabilities, documents, and administration process that must be dealt with after a person dies.

Estate duty

A tax that can be levied on a deceased estate where the estate is dutiable under South African estate duty rules.

Executor

A person or institution appointed by the Master to administer a deceased estate and deal with estate assets, debts, and distribution.

Guardians Fund

A fund administered by the Master that can receive and administer money for minors, missing persons, unborn heirs, and other protected beneficiaries in recognised situations.

Heir

A person who inherits or may inherit from a deceased estate, whether through a valid will or the rules of intestate succession.

Intestate succession

The default inheritance rules that apply when a person dies without a valid will, or where a valid will does not deal with all estate property.

Invalid will

A will that cannot be accepted or fully relied on because a legal requirement, capacity issue, revocation issue, or other defect affects its validity.

Letter of authority

A document issued by the Master that authorises a person to administer a qualifying estate where full letters of executorship are not required.

Letter of executorship

The Master's document appointing and authorising an executor to administer a deceased estate.

Liquidation and distribution account

The estate account prepared by or for the executor, setting out estate assets, liabilities, administration costs, and how the estate will be distributed.

Report an estate

The process of notifying the Master about a deceased estate and submitting the documents needed to open the estate file.

Testate succession

Succession where a deceased person's estate is distributed according to a valid will.

Testator

A person who makes a will.

Will

A legal document in which a person sets out how their estate should be dealt with after death, subject to formal validity requirements.

Core definitions

Core terms in this track

Beneficiary

A person or entity entitled to benefit under a will, trust, estate, policy, nomination, or other legal arrangement.

Codicil

A document that amends, adds to, or confirms part of an existing will while leaving the rest of the will in place.

Curator

A person appointed to manage or protect another person's property, affairs, or interests where the law or a court process requires it.

Estate duty

A tax that can be levied on a deceased estate where the estate is dutiable under South African estate duty rules.

Guardians Fund

A fund administered by the Master that can receive and administer money for minors, missing persons, unborn heirs, and other protected beneficiaries in recognised situations.

Heir

A person who inherits or may inherit from a deceased estate, whether through a valid will or the rules of intestate succession.

Liquidation and distribution account

The estate account prepared by or for the executor, setting out estate assets, liabilities, administration costs, and how the estate will be distributed.

Testate succession

Succession where a deceased person's estate is distributed according to a valid will.

Testator

A person who makes a will.

Deceased estate

The assets, liabilities, documents, and administration process that must be dealt with after a person dies.

Executor

A person or institution appointed by the Master to administer a deceased estate and deal with estate assets, debts, and distribution.

Intestate succession

The default inheritance rules that apply when a person dies without a valid will, or where a valid will does not deal with all estate property.

Invalid will

A will that cannot be accepted or fully relied on because a legal requirement, capacity issue, revocation issue, or other defect affects its validity.

Letter of authority

A document issued by the Master that authorises a person to administer a qualifying estate where full letters of executorship are not required.

Letter of executorship

The Master's document appointing and authorising an executor to administer a deceased estate.

Report an estate

The process of notifying the Master about a deceased estate and submitting the documents needed to open the estate file.

Will

A legal document in which a person sets out how their estate should be dealt with after death, subject to formal validity requirements.

Browse all glossary tracks

All terms

Browse this section

Beneficiary

A person or entity entitled to benefit under a will, trust, estate, policy, nomination, or other legal arrangement.

Codicil

A document that amends, adds to, or confirms part of an existing will while leaving the rest of the will in place.

Curator

A person appointed to manage or protect another person's property, affairs, or interests where the law or a court process requires it.

Estate duty

A tax that can be levied on a deceased estate where the estate is dutiable under South African estate duty rules.

Guardians Fund

A fund administered by the Master that can receive and administer money for minors, missing persons, unborn heirs, and other protected beneficiaries in recognised situations.

Heir

A person who inherits or may inherit from a deceased estate, whether through a valid will or the rules of intestate succession.

Liquidation and distribution account

The estate account prepared by or for the executor, setting out estate assets, liabilities, administration costs, and how the estate will be distributed.

Testate succession

Succession where a deceased person's estate is distributed according to a valid will.

Testator

A person who makes a will.

Deceased estate

The assets, liabilities, documents, and administration process that must be dealt with after a person dies.

Executor

A person or institution appointed by the Master to administer a deceased estate and deal with estate assets, debts, and distribution.

Intestate succession

The default inheritance rules that apply when a person dies without a valid will, or where a valid will does not deal with all estate property.

Invalid will

A will that cannot be accepted or fully relied on because a legal requirement, capacity issue, revocation issue, or other defect affects its validity.

Letter of authority

A document issued by the Master that authorises a person to administer a qualifying estate where full letters of executorship are not required.

Letter of executorship

The Master's document appointing and authorising an executor to administer a deceased estate.

Report an estate

The process of notifying the Master about a deceased estate and submitting the documents needed to open the estate file.