Loading
Loading page.
Evidence PackWills and EstatesMedium
Surviving Spouse Maintenance Estate Pack
Prepare a wills and estates evidence pack by organising the timeline, parties, documents, correspondence, official records, proof gaps, deadline risks, and consultation questions before speaking to a lawyer.
Time to prepare2-5 hours
Before you contact a lawyer
0/3 completedNeed help with this checklist?
Get support from a lawyer who works with wills and estates matters.
Before the consultation
0/4 completedDuring the consultation
0/3 completedAfterwards
0/3 completedWhen It Applies
You are preparing a wills and estates consultation or review.
Surviving spouses, executors, heirs, beneficiaries, and advisers preparing questions about possible maintenance against a deceased estate need relationship, dependency, expense, income, estate, and claim records organised.
Not For
- Final legal advice, deadline calculation, pleadings, settlement wording, or strategy decisions without a lawyer.
Documents
- Marriage or civil-union proof
- Death certificate
- Will
- Estate inventory
- Income proof
- Monthly expenses
- Medical costs
- Executor correspondence
- Timeline
- Correspondence
- Official notices
- Proof of delivery
- Question list
Timeline
- Before consultation: write the issue summary and collect core records.
- During review: identify the controlling date, missing evidence, and route options.
- Afterwards: calendar next dates and preserve original records.
- Ongoing: update the pack as new documents arrive.
Tips
- Use one dated timeline.
- Label files by date and source.
- Separate facts from assumptions.
- Send one clean pack rather than scattered messages.
Warning Signs
- A formal deadline is close.
- A decision or notice affects rights, money, property, status, or authority.
- Key records are missing or controlled by another party.
- You are being asked to sign or respond urgently.
Official sources
- Maintenance of Surviving Spouses Act 27 of 1990Surviving-spouse maintenance statutory context.
- Master of the High Court: deceased estatesEstate reporting and administration context.
- Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965Estate administration and executor context.
- Legal Practice Council list of legal practitionersLegal-practitioner discovery and verification context.
This checklist is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
Speak to a Lawyer