LSSA National Wills Week 2024: Registration now open

July 1st, 2024
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The Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) has been hosting the National Wills Week, a public outreach programme, successfully since 2008. This year, the campaign will run from 16 to 20 September 2024. During this week, the public can have a basic will drafted free of charge. Law firms across the country register with the LSSA to participate 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. Members of the public are then directed to the LSSA website where they can see the list of participating law firms per province and are able to contact the law firm directly and schedule an appointment.

The LSSA National Wills Week has become a significant event in the profession’s social outreach and access to justice initiatives. This success is due to the thousands of attorneys who generously contribute their time and expertise. The event has garnered increasing media coverage and support from major stakeholders.

The objectives of the LSSA National Wills Week campaign are twofold:

  1. Position attorneys as the leading providers of wills and estates services and improve the profession’s image.
  2. Encourage the public, particularly those hesitant to use legal services, to have a basic will drafted by an attorney.
How does the LSSA National Wills Week work?
  • Your firm will receive free digital posters in the language combination of your choice to promote your participation, including space for your firm’s contact details.
  • Your firm will be listed as a participating firm on the LSSA’s website.
  • A national media campaign will launch in early August, directing the public to the LSSA website for participating firms’ contact details.
Expectations for participating firms
  • 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.

Register your law firm for the LSSA National Wills Week here: www.lssa.org.za.

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This article was first published in De Rebus in 2024 (July) DR 3.

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