﻿{"id":1977,"date":"2025-07-31T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/?p=1977"},"modified":"2026-04-03T03:18:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T01:18:09","slug":"have-you-made-a-will","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/","title":{"rendered":"Make a Will: Your New Year\u2019s Resolution to Secure Your Legacy in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-size:14px;color:#555;\">Originally published: 12 January 2017 &nbsp;|&nbsp; Last updated: 31 July 2025<\/p>\n<section style=\"background:#f0f7fb;border-left:4px solid #2980b9;padding:20px 24px;margin-bottom:32px;border-radius:4px;\">\n<strong>TL;DR:<\/strong> Making a Will should be your top New Year&#8217;s resolution. Over 65% of South African adults lack a valid Will. Creating one protects your family, ensures your assets go to chosen beneficiaries, and takes under 20 minutes at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\">LegalWills.co.za<\/a>. A complete estate plan also includes a Living Will, Power of Attorney, and digital asset management.<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<article>\n<main><\/p>\n<p>TL;DR: Your primary New Year\u2019s resolution must be to create a Will. More than 65% of South African adults fail to possess a valid Will. The process of creating a Will at LegalWills.co.za takes less than 20 minutes while you will protect your family and make sure your assets reach the beneficiaries you select. The estate planning process reaches completion through the addition of Living Will documents together with Power of Attorney documents and digital asset management tools.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2223\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/scrabble-resolutions\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions.jpg?fit=1600%2C1067&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1600,1067\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;13&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 450D&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1389548267&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;48&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"scrabble-resolutions\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions.jpg?fit=646%2C431&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-2223 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions-1024x683.jpg?resize=646%2C431&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Making a Will\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions.jpg?resize=770%2C513&amp;ssl=1 770w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions.jpg?w=1292&amp;ssl=1 1292w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Why Should Making a Will Be Your Top Priority?<\/h2>\n<h3>Protect Your Family From Intestate Succession<\/h3>\n<p>Create a Last Will and Testament because it stands as your highest priority for resolutions. A Will protects your family, ensures your wishes are respected, and takes under 20 minutes to create online. The following resolution stands as the most essential matter when compared to all other resolutions.<\/p>\n<h3>Appoint Guardians for Your Children<\/h3>\n<p>Without a Will, the Intestate Succession Act determines who inherits your estate. Your spouse, children, and other relatives may not receive what you intended.<\/p>\n<h3>Choose Your Executor<\/h3>\n<p>The law requires you to create a Will which serves as the only official document for selecting guardians who will care for your minor children.<\/p>\n<h3>Manage Your Digital Assets<\/h3>\n<p>The Master of the High Court will select an executor who might be someone you do not know if you do not have a Will.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"1782\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/06\/05\/digital-assets\/lifelocker-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/LifeLocker.jpg?fit=900%2C503&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"900,503\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"LifeLocker\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/LifeLocker.jpg?fit=646%2C361&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-1782\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/LifeLocker.jpg?resize=646%2C361&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Executor assistance\" width=\"646\" height=\"361\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/LifeLocker.jpg?w=900&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/LifeLocker.jpg?resize=300%2C168&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/LifeLocker.jpg?resize=768%2C429&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/LifeLocker.jpg?resize=770%2C430&amp;ssl=1 770w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 646px) 100vw, 646px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>What Should a Complete Estate Plan Include?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The digital asset instructions should be included in your LifeLocker documents which your executor needs to access all essential documents.<\/li>\n<li>Last Will and Testament: Asset distribution and guardian appointments<\/li>\n<li>Living Will: Medical treatment preferences<\/li>\n<li>Power of Attorney: Financial decisions during incapacity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<h3>How long does it take to create a Will online?<\/h3>\n<p>Digital asset plan: Instructions for online accounts<\/p>\n<h3>How often should I review my Will?<\/h3>\n<p>Under 20 minutes at LegalWills.co.za.<\/p>\n<p><\/main><br \/>\n<\/article>\n<p><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"Article\",\"headline\":\"Make a Will: Your Most Important Resolution in South Africa\",\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Tim Hewson\"},\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"LegalWills.co.za\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-01-12\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-03\"}<\/script><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How long does it take to create a Will online in South Africa?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Under 20 minutes at LegalWills.co.za.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How often should I review my Will?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Every 1\u20132 years, and after any major life event.\"}}]}<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Originally published: 12 January 2017 &nbsp;|&nbsp; Last updated: 31 July 2025 TL;DR: Making a Will should be your top New Year&#8217;s resolution. Over 65% of South African adults lack a valid Will. Creating one protects your family, ensures your assets go to chosen beneficiaries, and takes under 20 minutes at LegalWills.co.za. A complete estate plan [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":true},"categories":[7],"tags":[40,33,22,8,41,15],"class_list":["post-1977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wills","tag-digital-assets-2","tag-executors","tag-guardians","tag-intestate","tag-lifelocker","tag-wills"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\r\n<title>Make a Will: Your New Year\u2019s Resolution to Secure Your Legacy in South Africa - The S.A. LegalWills Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Making a Will is one of those tasks that just never makes it to the top of the To Do list. Our busiest time is the first week of January because people tend to resolve to no longer put it off. A Will is a vital document that should be written today, and we allow you to update it over time whenever circumstances change.\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Make a Will: Your New Year\u2019s Resolution to Secure Your Legacy in South Africa - The S.A. LegalWills Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Making a Will is one of those tasks that just never makes it to the top of the To Do list. Our busiest time is the first week of January because people tend to resolve to no longer put it off. A Will is a vital document that should be written today, and we allow you to update it over time whenever circumstances change.\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The S.A. LegalWills Blog\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalwills\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-31T10:00:00+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-03T01:18:09+00:00\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions-1024x683.jpg\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Tim Hewson\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@tim_hewson\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@LegalWills\" \/>\r\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Tim Hewson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Tim Hewson\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/994affb8458ecb9584144d4d4cb1d82b\"},\"headline\":\"Make a Will: Your New Year\u2019s Resolution to Secure Your Legacy in South Africa\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-31T10:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-03T01:18:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":390,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.ca\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/01\\\/scrabble-resolutions-1024x683.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"digital assets\",\"executors\",\"guardians\",\"intestate\",\"lifelocker\",\"wills\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Wills\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/\",\"name\":\"Make a Will: Your New Year\u2019s Resolution to Secure Your Legacy in South Africa - The S.A. LegalWills Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.ca\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/01\\\/scrabble-resolutions-1024x683.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-31T10:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-03T01:18:09+00:00\",\"description\":\"Making a Will is one of those tasks that just never makes it to the top of the To Do list. Our busiest time is the first week of January because people tend to resolve to no longer put it off. A Will is a vital document that should be written today, and we allow you to update it over time whenever circumstances change.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.ca\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/01\\\/scrabble-resolutions-1024x683.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.ca\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2017\\\/01\\\/scrabble-resolutions-1024x683.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/31\\\/have-you-made-a-will\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Make a Will: Your New Year\u2019s Resolution to Secure Your Legacy in South Africa\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"South Africa Legal Wills\",\"description\":\"Demystifying the Last Will and Testament\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"South Africa Legal Wills\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/LW_Wordmark-South-Africa-Colour.png?fit=300%2C67&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/08\\\/LW_Wordmark-South-Africa-Colour.png?fit=300%2C67&ssl=1\",\"width\":300,\"height\":67,\"caption\":\"South Africa Legal Wills\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/legalwills\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/LegalWills\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/994affb8458ecb9584144d4d4cb1d82b\",\"name\":\"Tim Hewson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-ZA\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Tim Hewson\"},\"description\":\"Tim Hewson is one of the founders of LegalWills.co.za. He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets and has contributed to articles in most leading publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books. Throughout his career, Tim has written extensively on the subject of Will writing and estate planning.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/timhewson\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/tim_hewson\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.legalwills.co.za\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/timhewson\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\r\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Make a Will: Your New Year\u2019s Resolution to Secure Your Legacy in South Africa - The S.A. LegalWills Blog","description":"Making a Will is one of those tasks that just never makes it to the top of the To Do list. Our busiest time is the first week of January because people tend to resolve to no longer put it off. A Will is a vital document that should be written today, and we allow you to update it over time whenever circumstances change.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"http:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Make a Will: Your New Year\u2019s Resolution to Secure Your Legacy in South Africa - The S.A. LegalWills Blog","og_description":"Making a Will is one of those tasks that just never makes it to the top of the To Do list. Our busiest time is the first week of January because people tend to resolve to no longer put it off. A Will is a vital document that should be written today, and we allow you to update it over time whenever circumstances change.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/","og_site_name":"The S.A. LegalWills Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalwills","article_published_time":"2025-07-31T10:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-03T01:18:09+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions-1024x683.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Tim Hewson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@tim_hewson","twitter_site":"@LegalWills","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Tim Hewson","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/"},"author":{"name":"Tim Hewson","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/994affb8458ecb9584144d4d4cb1d82b"},"headline":"Make a Will: Your New Year\u2019s Resolution to Secure Your Legacy in South Africa","datePublished":"2025-07-31T10:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-03T01:18:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/"},"wordCount":390,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions-1024x683.jpg","keywords":["digital assets","executors","guardians","intestate","lifelocker","wills"],"articleSection":["Wills"],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/","url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/","name":"Make a Will: Your New Year\u2019s Resolution to Secure Your Legacy in South Africa - The S.A. LegalWills Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions-1024x683.jpg","datePublished":"2025-07-31T10:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-03T01:18:09+00:00","description":"Making a Will is one of those tasks that just never makes it to the top of the To Do list. Our busiest time is the first week of January because people tend to resolve to no longer put it off. A Will is a vital document that should be written today, and we allow you to update it over time whenever circumstances change.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-ZA","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions-1024x683.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/scrabble-resolutions-1024x683.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/31\/have-you-made-a-will\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Make a Will: Your New Year\u2019s Resolution to Secure Your Legacy in South Africa"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/","name":"South Africa Legal Wills","description":"Demystifying the Last Will and Testament","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-ZA"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/#organization","name":"South Africa Legal Wills","url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/LW_Wordmark-South-Africa-Colour.png?fit=300%2C67&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/LW_Wordmark-South-Africa-Colour.png?fit=300%2C67&ssl=1","width":300,"height":67,"caption":"South Africa Legal Wills"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalwills","https:\/\/x.com\/LegalWills"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/994affb8458ecb9584144d4d4cb1d82b","name":"Tim Hewson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-ZA","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5f633a1cec1e653ab6f74034d00e5c0dfeda4bbbbf1e2e735c707bc2c5298316?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Tim Hewson"},"description":"Tim Hewson is one of the founders of LegalWills.co.za. He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets and has contributed to articles in most leading publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books. Throughout his career, Tim has written extensively on the subject of Will writing and estate planning.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/timhewson","https:\/\/x.com\/tim_hewson"],"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/author\/timhewson\/"}]}},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2487,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/10\/16\/online-will-service\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":0},"title":"Online Will Service: 11 Unique Features at LegalWills.co.za","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"16 October 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Originally published: 15 June 2019 \u00a0|\u00a0 Last updated: 16 October 2025 TL;DR: LegalWills.co.za offers a comprehensive online estate planning platform with features including: Will creation, Living Will, Power of Attorney, executor guidance, digital asset management via KeyHolder, document storage via LifeLocker, and more. All designed specifically for South African law.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Alternate-Executor.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2275,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/09\/18\/making-a-will-in-canada\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":1},"title":"Making a Will in South Africa: Your 2024 Guide","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"18 September 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Originally published: 11 May 2018 \u00a0|\u00a0 Last updated: 18 September 2025 TL;DR: Making a Will in South Africa requires compliance with the Wills Act 7 of 1953: you must be 16+, the Will must be in writing, signed on every page, and witnessed by two competent witnesses. Key decisions include\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Wills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Wills","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/category\/wills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"making a will","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/39940676_l-copy-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/39940676_l-copy-1024x683.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/39940676_l-copy-1024x683.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1417,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/03\/16\/south-africa-will\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":2},"title":"Creating My Last Will and Testament in South Africa in 5 Minutes: You Can Too","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"16 March 2025","format":"video","excerpt":"Originally published: 10 October 2014 \u00a0|\u00a0 Last updated: 16 March 2025 TL;DR: You can create a legally valid Last Will and Testament in South Africa in under 20 minutes using an online service like LegalWills.co.za. The process covers appointing an executor, naming beneficiaries, designating guardians for minor children, and setting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3220,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2026\/01\/08\/modern-wills\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":3},"title":"A Guide to Modern Wills: Digital, Electronic, and Online Wills in South Africa","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"8 January 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The original publication date for this document was 11 February 2022 and the last update occurred on 11 January 2026. TL;DR: In South Africa, \"online Wills\" are drafted digitally but must be printed, signed, and witnessed to be valid. Purely electronic or digital Wills (stored only online) are not yet\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Wills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Wills","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/category\/wills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Digital-assets.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Digital-assets.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Digital-assets.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Digital-assets.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1949,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/07\/17\/avoid-writing-a-will\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":4},"title":"Procrastination: Why So Many People Don\u2019t Write a Will","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"17 July 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Originally published: 16 November 2016 \u00a0|\u00a0 Last updated: 17 July 2025 TL;DR: Over 65% of South African adults procrastinate on writing a Will. The main reasons are fear of mortality, perceived complexity, cost concerns, and the belief that it can wait. None of these excuses justify leaving your family unprotected.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Wills&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Wills","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/category\/wills\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Procrastination on making a Will in South Africa","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/28919296_m.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/28919296_m.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/28919296_m.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.ca\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/28919296_m.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2933,"url":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/2025\/12\/04\/will-writing-myths\/","url_meta":{"origin":1977,"position":5},"title":"Busting Will Writing Myths","author":"Tim Hewson","date":"4 December 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Originally published: 22 August 2021 \u00a0|\u00a0 Last updated: 4 December 2025 TL;DR: Common Will-writing myths include: you need a lawyer (false), only rich people need Wills (false), verbal wishes are enough (false), and Wills are permanent (false. You should update regularly). A valid Will requires compliance with the Wills Act,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Napkin-Will.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Napkin-Will.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Napkin-Will.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Napkin-Will.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pf2wKL-vT","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1977"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4113,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1977\/revisions\/4113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.legalwills.co.za\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}