News & Articles
Trustees take note – new platform for your trust Beneficial Ownership reporting
This October, the Acting Chief Master signed a directive introducing the new electronic platform for reporting Beneficial Ownership information at the Master. This new platform was introduced after the Master received an overwhelming number of concerns from Trustees about the reliability, privacy, security and functionality of the Google Forms document that was previously used for Beneficial Ownership submissions to the Master.
Does a claim for maintenance fall away when you die?
A question that often arises is what happens to a person’s maintenance obligations when they pass away. In this article, we have a look at what the legal position is regarding maintenance in the event of death.
Navigating spousal maintenance in your Antenuptial contract
When getting married a common option for couples is to select getting married out of community of property with the accrual system. This requires an antenuptial contract to be drawn up by a notary. But what happens if one of the spouses wishes to also in the antenuptial contract exclude the right to claim maintenance should they get divorced. Is that at all enforceable?
Should you consider massing your estate?
A term often encountered in estate planning but generally not always that well understood, is the “massing” of estates. In this article we take a look at what is meant by “massing” and when it makes sense to use massing in estate planning.
Real estate in a deceased estate – what are the options?
Dealing with real estate in a deceased estate can be a complex and emotionally challenging process for heirs. In such situation, understanding the available options, addressing cash shortfalls, and resolving disputes are essential steps in the administration of the deceased’s assets. In this article we shed light on these crucial aspects and provide guidance to heirs on facing these challenges.
Estate Planning – a necessary tool in uncertain times
The last number of years have seen the world go through dramatic changes, pandemics, environmental upheavals, wars, financial volatility and massive political uncertainty affecting every individual and country in one way or another.
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Cybercrime – a clear and present danger for individuals and businesses
Cybercrime has become a global pandemic with South Africa leading the charge in terms of countries that have become a hotspot for cybercrime, earning us the dubious honour of being labelled the cybercrime capital of Africa. With October being international cyber security awareness month, we touch on some of the issues and risks which South African businesses face with respect to cybercrime.
Beware of the VAT pitfall in your sale of property agreement
An item that is often overlooked when buying or selling property is the issue of VAT and whether such is payable and by whom. Property sale agreements generally stipulate how this should be dealt with, but just as often, agreements can be silent on the issue of VAT. So, what then is the correct position?
Does a construction contract have to be in writing?
You’ve been planning to make some upgrades to your home and you’ve approached a building contractor with a good reputation who is happy to take the job. The only question remaining is, do you have a written construction agreement drawn up, or can you and the contractor verbally agree on the scope of work and price?
An introduction to mergers and acquisitions in South Africa
Mergers and Acquisitions or ‘M&As’ have become integral components of South Africa’s corporate landscape and play a crucial role in economic growth and development. In this article, we explore the legal framework and key considerations surrounding M&A transactions in South Africa by looking at the regulatory environment, competition law, due diligence, tax, and transaction structuring that accompanies M&A transactions.
South Africa: AI and data privacy regulations – the complexities of AI technologies and processingpersonal information
There have been radical developments in various artificial intelligence (AI) models, with ChatGPT being the most prominent. ChatGPT serves as a language-based AI chatbot that uses a set of techniques referred to as deep learning that has continuous learning capabilities. As a result of these revolutionary AI developments, businesses have acknowledged the valuable insights that AI platforms can provide. It facilitates the generation of contracts, marketing content, CVs, articles, essays, and much more. It does so by gathering and processing data sourced from the internet, encompassing large sets of data derived from books, articles, and other online resources. PR de Wet and Jako Fourie, from VDT Attorneys Inc., examine the impact of POPIA on AI developments, with a specific focus on the processing of data by automated means through AI.
South Africa: What to expect from the Information Regulator in 2023
Since the inception of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 4 of 2013 (POPIA), the Information Regulator has achieved some significant milestones in terms of POPIA and the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2 of 2000 (PAIA). In this Insight Article, PR de Wet and Mishka Cassim, analyze the milestones accomplished in 2022 and the expectations for 2023.
International: Privacy by Design – prioritizing security in business.
In today’s current digital space, safeguarding privacy and ensuring that your business is compliant with the various cyber laws and data privacy regulations is crucial to ensure that business operations are well protected. In this article, PR de Wet and Mishka Cassim, seek to address some of the most important issues companies face and need to consider on a global scale when addressing privacy concerns.
What you need to know about mortgage bonds in South Africa
The aim of this article is to provide prospective and current homeowners with some insight into mortgage bonds, different types of bonds recognised in South Africa and addressing frequently asked questions relating to mortgage bonds.