Law, Military Science and Security Justice in Society

Drafting Wills And Administering Deceased Estates Training

SAQA US 116098 | NQF 7 | Credits 7 | Duration 4 Days
From $1,107 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the practical skills and legal knowledge required to draft valid wills and administer deceased estates in accordance with South African law. Participants will gain a thorough understanding of the Wills Act, the Administration of Estates Act, and the duties of executors, ensuring compliance and minimizing disputes.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply the legal requirements of a valid will under the Wills Act 7 of 1953.
  • Draft wills that accurately reflect the testator's intentions and comply with formalities.
  • Analyze the duties and responsibilities of an executor in administering a deceased estate.
  • Evaluate the process of estate accounting, including asset valuation and distribution.
  • Implement procedures for dealing with intestate estates and claims against the estate.
  • Demonstrate the ability to manage estate administration from death to final distribution.

Target Audience

This course is designed for legal practitioners, paralegals, estate administrators, trust officers, and financial advisors who are involved in drafting wills or managing deceased estates. It is also suitable for individuals seeking to enhance their expertise in estate planning and administration.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundational Legal Framework and Introduction to Wills

Objectives:
• Understand the legal framework governing wills and deceased estates in South Africa
• Explain the requirements for a valid will under the Wills Act
• Identify different types of wills and their characteristics
• Describe the roles of key parties in estate administration

Topics:
• Overview of the law of succession: testate vs intestate
• The Wills Act and requirements for a valid will
• Types of wills: formal, mutual, living wills
• Capacity to make a will
• Revocation and amendment of wills
• Key role players: executors, heirs, beneficiaries, Master of the High Court

Day 2: Drafting Wills and Key Clauses

Objectives:
• Draft clear and enforceable will clauses
• Apply principles of estate planning in will drafting
• Identify common pitfalls and how to avoid them
• Understand the use of trusts in wills

Topics:
• Structure of a will: preamble, clauses, signatures
• Drafting key clauses: appointment of executor, bequests, residuary estate
• Incorporation of trusts in wills: testamentary trusts
• Estate planning considerations: minors, usufruct, fideicommissum
• Common errors in will drafting and how to avoid them
• Ethical considerations for drafters

Day 3: Deceased Estate Administration Process

Objectives:
• Outline the steps in administering a deceased estate
• Complete necessary documentation for reporting and liquidation
• Calculate and pay estate duties and taxes
• Distribute assets to beneficiaries correctly

Topics:
• Reporting the estate to the Master: forms and procedures
• Appointment of executor and letters of executorship
• Inventory and valuation of assets
• Debts and claims: advertisement, proof, and payment
• Calculation of estate duty and capital gains tax
• Distribution and account: liquidation and distribution account

Day 4: Advanced Applications, Practical Integration, and Ethics

Objectives:
• Handle complex estate scenarios such as insolvency and foreign assets
• Apply ethical and professional standards in practice
• Integrate knowledge from previous days in a comprehensive case study
• Prepare for unit standard assessment

Topics:
• Handling insolvent estates and insolvency administration
• Estates with foreign elements: cross-border assets and beneficiaries
• Ethical dilemmas and professional conduct
• Case study: from will drafting to final distribution
• Review of key concepts and assessment preparation
• Practical exercises in document completion

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Tue 08 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,107 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Thu 01 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,107 Register
Tue 20 Oct 2026 Fri 23 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,107 Register
Tue 08 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,107 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Thu 14 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,107 Register
Tue 16 Feb 2027 Fri 19 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,107 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Thu 04 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 09 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,107 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Thu 18 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 08 Jun 2027 Fri 11 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,107 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Thu 01 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 20 Jul 2027 Fri 23 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,107 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Thu 09 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 28 Sep 2027 Fri 01 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,107 Register
Mon 18 Oct 2027 Thu 21 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 07 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,107 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Thu 30 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,107 Register
Tue 18 Jan 2028 Fri 21 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,107 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 492 sessions across 26 venues
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Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,581 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $4,903 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $1,663 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $4,903 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,743 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Thu 17 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,436 Register
Tue 06 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,436 Register
Mon 26 Oct 2026 Thu 29 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,436 Register
Mon 14 Dec 2026 Thu 17 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,436 Register
Tue 19 Jan 2027 Fri 22 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,436 Register
Mon 22 Feb 2027 Thu 25 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,436 Register
Tue 09 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Thu 18 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,436 Register
Tue 23 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Thu 17 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,436 Register
Tue 06 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 26 Jul 2027 Thu 29 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,436 Register
Tue 14 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Thu 07 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,436 Register
Tue 26 Oct 2027 Fri 29 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Thu 16 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,436 Register
Tue 04 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,436 Register
Mon 24 Jan 2028 Thu 27 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,436 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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