The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) National Wills Week is a public outreach programme that has been successfully running since 2008.

This year, the LSSA National Wills Week campaign will take place during the week of 11 to 15 September 2023 and of course Neumann van Rooyen will form part of this campaign.

During this week, members of the public will be able to have a basic will drafted free of charge by attorney firms that choose to be part of this national campaign.

Attorneys’ firms throughout the country register with the LSSA to become participants in this initiative. The LSSA National Wills Week is advertised to the public during the month of August, alerting the public of participating law firms.

Keep an eye open and please convey to members of your family or friends that you know do not have a proper or current will in place to call us and make an appointment.  Neumann van Rooyen will advertise as best possible to

Draw members of the public’s attention to it.  A full list of attorneys participating is available on the LPC’s website and instructions or information of the firm  to book an appointment.

The LSSA National Wills Week is now an established highlight among the profession’s social outreach and access to justice initiatives. This is thanks to the thousands of attorneys who participate by giving generously of their time and skills. The LSSA National Wills Week has also attracted increasing coverage in the media, as well as support from major stakeholders which we really value and also experience the value towards the community each year.

People that normally feel it will be too expensive or I do not have enough to need a will come to our office and just the information they receive and the contact we can make with the community is priceless.

If we have a look at the aim for the LSSA week then the LPC set out these 2 reasons which we agree with and can confirm is the goal each and every year:

position attorneys as the premier providers of wills and estates services to the public, and to improve the image of the profession generally; and

encourage members of the public who would not normally make use of the services of an attorney, or who may hesitate to consult an attorney to have a basic will drafted.

I really want to motivate other law firms who has not been part of this campaign previously to join in BUT when you give advice remember your duty to serve the public with the best advice possible.

How does the LSSA National Wills Week work?

Your firm will be provided with free posters in the language combination of your choice to publicise your participation. Provision is made on the posters for your firm’s contact details.

Your firm will be listed as a participating firm on the database of participating firms on the LSSA’s website.

A national media campaign will be launched early in August. All media and publicity material will invite members of the public to consult the LSSA website for the contact details of participating firms.

What is expected from you as a participating firm according to the LPC and recent article in the De Rebus?

• The firm will draw up basic wills free of charge.
• The firm will provide an explanation of the importance of having a properly and professionally drafted will to the client.
• You may not insist that you are appointed as the executor of the estate.
• You must give the client a copy of their will.
• You will not be expected to redraft or amend existing wills for free, nor will you be expected to draft complex wills involving trusts, etcetera.

We hope to see a lot of people here at our offices in Welkom and Odendaalsrus during the week of 11 to 15 September 2023.