You must have a will and if you have assets in more than one country then you need a will in each country.
PLEASE ALWAYS GET AT LEAST TWO QUOTES for costs that will be incurred now and costs that will be incurred when your will is processed after your passing. 

In Stilbaai we recommend Johan Smit because he is highly experienced and specialised. Another point is that his son is also an Attorney who is in the practice who will take over from Johan when he retires. Johan's wife is also very helpful when it comes to questions. His contact number is:

028 754 2314

KRUMM ATTORNEYS also specialise in Wills & Estates. They have a good helpful team to assist you. They can be reached on:

 028 050 2334

If you feel you need to go elsewhere you can look for Attorneys specialising in WILLS & ESTATES in Riversdale or George. 

As with most subjects it is most often better to use practises specialising rather than Generalists and Attorneys that will be around for a long term.

Try not to make your will complex and make sure it covers all your assets. We also suggest that you review it each year and make sure, if you have a partner, that they have easy immediate access to funds if you were to pass so that they continue their life with minimum disruption. A poorly constructed will normally leads to confusion and conflict. 

Also ensure that you leave a list of instructions for the family to advise them of where to find assets as well as account numbers, passwords etc.  

 

 

  

Often a neglected area that can cuase you many problems if not handled professionally. In legal terms it is called Conveyancing and certain Attorneys specialise in it.
AGAIN PLEASE GET AT LEAST TWO QUOTES.
Over the years JOHAN SMIT ATTORNEYS have proven to be reliable partners in this area. They know the law and they know most of the estate agents and with their experience we believe they offer a good option.
028 754 2314    their contact number

Remeber items such as Boundaries which must be checked by the BUYER,
Latent Defects which need to be declared, the effect of CAPITAL GAINS TAX if it is applicable, the relationship with the DEEDS OFFICES and their ability to stick to their promises. When things go wrong in this area the process can often become prolonged and painful.

Beware of signing a sale that is subject to the sale of another property and ensure that an escape clause is in place. Before accepting an offer or making an offer please get it checked by a conveyancing Attorney. It will just give you extra protection in this major transaction.

KRUMM Attorneys also specialise in Conveyancing and they are a very helpful and knowledgeable group.
028 050 2334     their contact number

If you are not happy with Stilbaai Attorneys who do conveyancing you can always look at specialists in Riversdale or George.

Always ask for weekly feedback on progress and remain "active" in the transaction. 

Conveyancers also need good relationships with the banks who Finance properties so you can also ask your bank who they suggest.

 

 

 

We offer a FREE SERVICE (DONATIONS APPRECIATED) whereby we ask you to outline your case and we refer it to excellent attorneys who will evaluate it and give you a reply and at least suggest the right direction so that you have a good idea of the implications you face. They are objective because they are not allowed to take on the case. They will give you both sides of the story. Here is what we suggest when dealing with law:

RULE 1 : STAY OUT OF COURT. A DAY IN HIGH COURT will cost you more than R20 000 per day.
RULE 2 : TRY TO SETTLE YOUR DISPUTES YOURSELF
RULE 3 : IF YOU GET INVOLVED IN A LEGAL CASE it is going to cost you much more than you think.
RULE 4 : IT IS GOING TO TAKE MUCH LONGER than you would have ever planned. You may not even recover your money.
RULE 5 : The Attorney will most likely be paid whether you win or loose.

An average attorney normally charges R1500 per hour and they may even charge R1500 per hour for an INTERN.

RULE 6 : Try to work on a NO WIN NO PAY BASIS where the attorney will normally negotiated a figure of 25% of the winnings.

RULE 7 : Use an attorney in the town where the case is being held. Just a trip to Riversdale can cost you R1500 or a trip to George can cost you R4500 and then you still have to pay legal fees.

A Stibaai person was recently involved in a case where a contract came into dispute for an amount of R300 000. The case has now been closed after two years and two months. The legal fees were close to R240 000 and the amount recovered was R180 000. So the overall loss was about R360 000.
Most Attorneys cost a substantial amount of money and you cannot tell how many hours they are spending on your case each day. It just adds up quickly.

If you have to go for legal litigation try to move to ARBITRATION or MEDIATION as quickly as you can. One also finds that dishonesty is common in legal battles and Magistrates often have to decide which party is not telling the truth even though Affidavits have been signed. When there is money involved people behave differently. The LAW itself can also be difficult to understand and interpret so one needs advice.

But please keep your eye on ongoing costs.

We recommend attorneys in Riversdale who are close to the Magistrates court who specialise in court matters.

If your case is going to be heard in George the use a specialist litigation attorney from George.

WE MUST EMPHASISE AGAIN THAT YOU SHOULD TRY TO STAY OUT OF COURT because winning is NOT A GUARANTEED RESULT and the costs will escalate quickly. You could become so engrossed by the "fight" that you forget about the costs and please remember that if you lose you will pay your attorney's costs plus probably your opponents costs over which you have little control.. The numbers can become scary very quickly.

Lastly keep communication with your attorney to ONLY WHAT IS REALLY NECESSARY as you will also pay for ALL COMMUNICATION with them be it face to face meetings, online meetings, all phones calls and all written communication which includes communication with your opponent's attorney and your opponent by your attorney. R12 000 in "one days work" is not unusual.

Whatever Attorney you use make sure you get at least 3 references on them and keep tight control of the process asking for regualar updates on costs.

Initially the process is often described as being simple and quick but often it turns into a "legal mess" which ends up costing you much more than planned(we are referring to litigation (in other words disputes that have to be heard by a magistrate or judge in a court.

We cannot emphasise enough the need to proceed very carefully and although they appear to be regulated and they quote hourly rates you have absolutely no control over how many hours are allocated to your case which is completely unregulated.

We suggest you phone in for guidance if you are unsure of your situation. We cannot act as legal professional but we can suggest a path which will probably lead to the least risk.    


 

IN THIS AREA PLEASE BE CAREFUL AS THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SAD STORIES OVER THE YEARS.

If you are SELLING please research the agent(s) who you may choose. Go out and check references. If you sign a contract with an agent please get it checked by a conveyancing attorney. That is both the SELLING contract and the BUYER'S(offer to purchase) contract. It makes up a substantial portion of your assets so treat it with care and even get an independant agent to check it for you in the sense that the PRICE IS FAIR and the overall deal does not have any potential flaws. Don't make quick decisions and resist pressure from others. Beware of the class - YOUR PRICE is TOO HIGH - where attempts are being made to get you to lower the asking price. Obviously the lower the price the quicker it will sell. 

If you are a BUYER then study the market on Property24 and make up a short list. Decide which agents to use by asking around and getting references. When deciding on a property and a price go to independant people and CROSS-CHECK your offer. Let a local Conveyancer check the offer to purchase and advise you of possible problems. It is a large sum of money and you don't want to make mistakes. Make ultra sure that you are not paying too much relative to the market. In addition make sure that all problems with the property have been declared to you. Rather BEWARE and BE SAFE.

Whether you are BUYING or SELLING it is a big moment in your life and you need to treat it as such. Don't let anyone rush you or pressurise you.

When selecting agents to help you in buying or selling please get at least 3 references on the agents who you choose. Also establish commission upfront.

"Private selling" is an option whereby you reduce your commission costs to a fixed cost of R35 000 for services whereby you are assisted in the selling of your property by people who know how to promote and market your property.

Attorneys are used for all legal processes.

Normal Estate Agents Commission on a R3.5 million property is 5% or
R175 000. SO YOU SAVE R140 000.

Call our number for additional information we will HELP YOU SELL.
 

Firstly make sure your vehicle(s) are regularly serviced with the aim of keeping them for as long as reasonably possible. Cars a basically a waste of money and they erode your Capital.

We suggested only two places to buy new cars and those are Toyota Riversdale and Rolo Ford Riversdale. The reason why we do this is because these two Dealers have a strong track record and you don't have to drive a long way for servicing. If you choose another Dealer make sure they have their own servicing facility.

Remember if you buy in George then when you service you have to drive to George and spend the day there. This is an inconvenience and it costs money to get there and back and wander around for the day spending additional funds.

Realise that a valid warranty is only in place if you get the vehicle serviced at a dealer that is registered for that make otherwise your warranty falls away.

When buying cars using GUARANTEED FUTURE VALUE after a certain number of years REMEMBER that the vehilce has to be returned in EXCELLENT condition otherwise you will pay for eveything that needs too be done to the vehicle including possibly new tyres.

THE BIGEST COST YOU WILL ENCOUNTER and the one which needs the most "CONTROL".

There are a number of good people who do plans and people who build houses.

AGAIN PLEASE GET 3 QUOTES and GET REFERENCES ON ALL THREE.
Let an attorney draw up a contract for you to cover yourself on the project concentrating mainly on sign-off stages and payments due. PLEASE DO NOT PAY IN ADVANCE unless it is secured in some way. Study the quotes carefully and don't necessarily accept the lowest quote.

People provide us feedback on their experiences so we are able to share some of those with you.

If some building work is really cheap then check it very carefully. 

Please treat a serious mental condition as an emergency. See Medical Emergency numbers. Try to see a Psychiatrist or a Psychologist. Sometimes it is necessary to get immediate care in a Neuro Clinic such as in George. One does not want the condition to deteriorate.

The first time a person becomes seriously mentally ill it is very scary for the individual and special support and care is necessary on an urgent basis.

You can talk to us and we will direct you to the appropriate specialists. Some local psychiatrists are:
Dr Johan Fourie ( George Neuro Clinic) - 044 803 2074
Dr Jannie van der Westhuizen (George Neuro Clinic) - 044 803 2074
Dr  P V A Smit (Hatenbos, Mossel Bay) - 044 695 0456 

If necessary do not be scared of getting yourself admitted. Ask friends to help.

Mental illness is a special category of illness and it needs to be treated by specialists - from Psychiatrists, Psychologists and qualified Psychiatric Nurses in an appropriate environment. The target is to achieve stability in the shortest possible time frame.

There is no longer a massive STIGMA attached to it. It is much more common than you think because we generally live stressful lives and hardly ever really learn how to relax and lower adrenalin and cortisol. 

IN AN EMERGENCY Please contact your doctor or go straight to CAREWELL. 028 754 1044
IF YOU NEED AN AMBULANCE PLEASE CALL:
0177 (State)
ER24: 083 454 1175
 

GENERAL PRACTITIONERS

• Drs André Botha / Sean Murray / André van Blerk / Stefan Roux – Tel: (028) 754 2460
• Dr Karlein van Zyl / Dr Patricia Ooshuizen – Tel: (028) 754 1107 / 082 616 0640
• Drs Fourie, Louw & Pretorius – Tel: (028) 754 1100

PHARMACIES

• The Local Pharmacy Choice Blombos – Tel: (028) 754 1057
• Fynbos Pharmacy – Tel: (028) 754 1860 / 082 452 2973 (Emergency After Hours)

CLINICS | HOSPITAL | HOME CARE

• Carewell Sub-acute Hospital – Tel: (028) 754 1044 / (028) 754 1040
• Melkhoutfontein Kliniek – Tel: (028) 754 1978
• Optimal Care NPC Home Care – Tel: 062 482 6631 / 076 868 7886
• Stilbaai Kliniek – Tel: (028) 754 1009

GENERAL

• Aesthetic Practitioner : Dr P Meyer – Tel: 082 712 7562
• Ampath Stilbaai – Tel: 087 310 2584
• Biokeniticist Anzele Schnetler – Tel: 072 407 5784
• Biokineticist Georgine Heenop – Tel: 082 898 8597
• Clinical Psychologist : Mrs Marle Louw – Tel: 083 505 4888
• Dentists: Dr Enslin & Gillespie – Tel: (028) 754 3986 / 076 964 0076
• Dentists: Stilbaai Dentists (Dr. Kobus & Dr Alex) – Tel: 087 563 5455
• Kinderspesialis (Paediatrician) (Dr. M. de Jager) – Tel: 082 299 4139
• Occupational Therapist (René Potgieter) – Tel: 060 508 6726
• Oudioloog (Lynette Snyman): Tel: (044) 690 4192 / 082 872 9166
• Optometrist : Chris Joubert – Tel: (028) 754 3555
• Physiotherapist : Esté van Beek – Tel: 079 290 2622
• Physiotherapist : Fienie Barnard – Tel: 072 528 7023
• Physiotherapist : Johan Uys – Tel: 076 370 7913
• Privaat Maatskaplike Werker / Kinderterapeut & Ouerleiding: Marilize van Zyl – Tel: 083 235 3805 / (028) 754 2080
• Psychologist (Annette Fraser) – Tel: 082 573 2451
• Psychologist (Rolene Farre) - Tel 082 429 7357
• Psychologist(Sarel Steyn) - Tel 087 550 2676
• Social Worker (Private) Dr Magriet Coetzee-Spies – Tel: 082 607 0079
• Therapeutic Play Practitioner (Lee Matthews) – Tel: 072 765 3794

BOSCHOFF VISSER - 028 754 2009 - Zelna Visser

As we age our health generally detriorates slowly. When one is not able to care for oneself then it is time to use the support of people who specialise in FRAIL CARE. You can be cared for at home by the people at OPTIMAL CARE NPC who have various packages that they offer. They are very helpful and understanding and can be reached on 065 177 6177. There is also HUIS STILBAAI that you can consider and it is a long established professional unit that takes care of many people . They can be reached on their website - Huisstilbaai.co.za .

DEMENTIA & ALZHEIMERS

When these conditions deteriorate and you need fulltime care in a facility then Stilbaai is lucky to have the services of Sister Alma who has taken care of many such people over many years. It takes special people to look after people with Dementia or Alzheimers. The people need to understand the conditions and the changes in patients and treat them kindly. A person with serious dementia does not fit into a frail care environment. The people just think completely differently.

If you need support then we suggest you use a Psychiatrist or a Neurologist such as Dr Andre Leonard in Mossel Bay - 044 690 4119 - to do an evaluation.

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