Family trusts
Preserve generational wealth, provide for minor or vulnerable beneficiaries, and keep control over how and when assets are distributed.
Trusts · South Africa
Trusts that protect your assets and secure your family's future.
We create, register and administer family, testamentary, business and special-purpose trusts - drafting the deed, lodging with the Master of the High Court and guiding trustees through every obligation that follows.
- Trust Property Control Act
- specialist trust law expertise
- Two offices
- Alberton & Johannesburg
- Practice No. 9890
- registered attorneys
What is a trust?
A trust is a legal arrangement in which a founder transfers assets to trustees, who manage those assets for the benefit of nominated beneficiaries. Trusts protect minor children, support family members, hold business interests and enable effective estate planning. In South Africa, the Trust Property Control Act governs how trusts are formed and how trustees must act.
Testamentary trusts
Created in a will and activated on death, ensuring ongoing support and financial security for the people you leave behind.
Business trusts
Manage ownership, succession and risk in companies, partnerships and investment ventures with a properly structured trust.
Special-purpose trusts
Structured for disabled dependants, education funds or philanthropic goals, with terms tailored to the purpose.
Our trust services
- Trust creation and registration
- Drafting comprehensive trust deeds, lodging documentation with the Master of the High Court and securing Letters of Authority for trustees.
- Trust structuring and strategy
- Advising on the optimal structure for your goals - balancing asset protection, tax efficiency and succession risk.
- Trust administration
- Guiding trustees through their legal obligations, compliance, record-keeping and annual reporting.
- Disputes and trustee changes
- Advice and representation in trust disputes, trustee removal or appointment, and related legal proceedings.
- Tax and compliance management
- Keeping the trust compliant with SARS requirements, regulatory updates and South African trust law.
Benefits of having a trust
- Asset protection - trust assets are shielded from creditors and marital claims
- Tax efficiency - sound structuring can reduce estate duty, capital gains and income tax
- Control and flexibility - trustees distribute according to your instructions
- Continuity and succession - assets pass on without probate delays
- Ongoing provision for minor or disabled dependants
- Clear governance, with duties set out in a properly drafted deed
Planning around a will too? See how we administer deceased estates.
Setting up a trust, step by step
From first consultation to Letters of Authority and ongoing administration.
- 01
Consultation on trust objectives
We assess your needs, family dynamics and asset base, then recommend the trust model that best fits your legacy.
- 02
Drafting the trust deed
Our attorneys prepare a detailed, legally robust deed reflecting the trust's purpose and the rights and obligations of every party.
- 03
Registration with the Master of the High Court
We lodge all required documentation - certified IDs, completed forms and proof of address - and obtain Letters of Authority empowering the trustees.
- 04
Ongoing administration and review
We guide you on compliance, reporting, amendments to the deed and trustee changes as laws or circumstances evolve.
Why families and business owners appoint us
- Deep, specialist expertise in the Trust Property Control Act
- Trust deeds drafted for real family and business circumstances, not templates
- Offices in Alberton and Johannesburg, serving clients across South Africa
- Strategic advice on tax and succession before the deed is signed
- Ongoing trustee support, compliance reminders and transparent communication
- Estates and conveyancing handled in-house when trust assets change hands
Frequently asked questions
Start building the future you want for your family.
Speak to an attorney in confidence and leave with a clear view of the right trust structure, what it costs, and what happens next.
Call (082) 834-5309