Attorneys · Accountants · Financial advisers
Instructions from professionals.
Estate administration and trust-law assistance for your clients.
Craig works with professionals whose clients need full estate administration or advice on a trust matter. Instructions may concern an entire estate, an existing dispute or a defined question arising in your own work.
Scope of work
Work the practice undertakes
- Full estate administration. Administration from reporting and appointment through the liquidation and distribution account, distribution and finalisation. Assistance can also be provided to an appointed executor on an existing estate.
- Trust disputes. Advice on disputes concerning trustee decisions, distributions, accounts, the interpretation of the deed and the conduct of administration.
- Trust deeds. Reviews and amendments of existing deeds, proposed changes to the trust’s arrangements, and the establishment of new trusts.
- Wills and estate planning. Drafting and reviewing wills with regard to family circumstances, asset ownership and the client’s existing trust and business arrangements.
Working arrangements
Agreeing how the matter will be handled
A client may instruct the practice directly following your introduction. Another attorney may also instruct Craig on a defined part of a matter, subject to an appropriate mandate. Where an accountant, tax practitioner or financial adviser remains involved, the legal instruction and the respective responsibilities are recorded separately.
Before work begins, we agree who the client is, who has authority to instruct, the work to be undertaken, and how advice and progress reports will be communicated. Your continuing involvement is addressed expressly, so that the client receives coordinated advice.
For a dispute, the engagement also addresses the conduct of any proceedings, the involvement of counsel and the work of other advisers where required.
Fees
A defined mandate and basis of fees
Fees depend on the role and the work required. The engagement will distinguish full administration from assistance with a particular task or separate legal advice, and address disbursements and any applicable VAT.
Any arrangement between practitioners must comply with the applicable professional rules. A professional introduction does not itself create a fee-sharing arrangement.
Initial enquiry
Information needed to consider the instruction
Please provide the names of the relevant parties for conflict checks, a short outline of the matter, its present stage and any deadline. For an estate, indicate whether it has been reported and who holds the appointment. For a trust, identify whom you act for and the decision or issue requiring attention.
Please wait for confirmation before sending the file or confidential documents. The practice will then identify the records needed and confirm the proposed scope and fee arrangements.
Craig’s professional profileEnquiries
Discuss a professional instruction.
New instructions are subject to conflict checks and written terms of engagement.
Relevant South African sources: LPC Code of Conduct. Advice depends on the particular instruction.