by O'Hagan Attorneys | Jul 31, 2026 | Trusts
“The palest ink is better than the best memory.” (Chinese proverb) A founder dies and the family disagrees about what should happen to the assets. Then some beneficiaries produce emails proving they know what he wanted to happen. Surely the court can step in and wind...
by O'Hagan Attorneys | Jul 2, 2026 | tax, Trusts
“Things do not go away. They go somewhere.” (Annie Dillard) Many trustees assume that a dormant trust can be safely forgotten. No income, no assets, no transactions … No problem. SARS has made it clear that this assumption may be an expensive one. In recent months,...
by O'Hagan Attorneys | Apr 2, 2026 | Retirement Planning, Saving & Investing, Trusts
“Legacy is not leaving something for people. It’s leaving something in people.” (Peter Strople, former Dell Computer Corporation director) Leave a personal legacy, not just a financial one We all know how important it is to our loved ones that we leave behind a valid...
by O'Hagan Attorneys | May 31, 2024 | Contract, Property, Trusts
“Externally, trustees cannot disagree. In the external sphere the Trust functions by virtue of its resolutions, which have to be supported by the full complement of the Trust body.” (Extract from judgment below) A recent Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgment provides...
by O'Hagan Attorneys | May 3, 2023 | Trusts
“National Treasury, therefore, expects that if South Africa continues to make significant improvements in effectiveness and swiftly exits grey listing, it will have a limited impact on financial stability and costs of doing business with South Africa, particularly if...
by O'Hagan Attorneys | Nov 26, 2020 | Trusts
“…where there is disharmony, the essential test is whether it imperils the Trust estate or its proper administration” (extract from judgment below) Trustees are of course supposed to work together to protect and further the interests of their trust and its...
