5 Things Your Will Won’t Cover (But Your Family Needs)
There is a common misconception that once you have signed your Last Will and Testament, you are “done.” You think you have ticked the box, protected your family, and can now relax.
But as I explained in my recent interview on Cape Talk, a Will is a legal sledgehammer. It is designed to move big assets (houses, cars, investments) from one person to another. It is not designed to handle the delicate, daily details of your life.
In fact, there are dozens of critical items that simply do not belong in a Will. Why? Because a Will becomes a public document once it is lodged with the Master of the High Court. You definitely do not want your online banking password or your alarm code written in a public record!
So, if they aren’t in your Will, where do they go?
They go into a “Life File” or a dedicated guide like our In Case of Death Planner. Here are the 5 critical things your family will desperately need, which your lawyer definitely didn’t ask you for.
1. The “Digital Keys” (Passwords & PINs)
Your Will might say: “I leave my iPhone to my daughter.” But it does not say: “The PIN code is 198405.”
Without that PIN, the phone is just a piece of glass and metal. The photos, the messages, and the contacts inside are locked away forever.
Furthermore, putting passwords in a Will is dangerous because Wills take months to be read. Your family needs to access your email account immediately to find funeral policies and invoices. They cannot wait for the Executor to get Letters of Executorship.
We all live on subscriptions now. Netflix, Spotify, iCloud, Adobe, the gym contract, the monthly wine club delivery.
When you pass away, your bank accounts eventually get frozen, but until then, these debit orders keep hitting your account. Or worse, they bounce, and your estate starts racking up bad debt and admin fees.
Your family needs a simple “Kill List”—a list of everything you subscribe to so they can log in and cancel them immediately. A Will does not care about your R199/month streaming service, but your spouse certainly will.
As Featured on EWN 📰
“Karin Meyer has developed a 30-page digital guide that allows users to store passwords, PINs, banking details, and other sensitive information… eliminating the need for physical documents or shipping.”
Your Will treats your dog or cat as “property.” It might say who inherits them. But it doesn’t say that Buddy is allergic to chicken, terrified of thunder, and takes a specific pill for his joints every morning.
I included a “Pet Profile” section in the In Case of Death Planner because for many of us, our pets are our children. Ensuring their routine isn’t disrupted during a time of chaos is a massive kindness to them.
5. Where the “Hidden” Things Are
We all have safe hiding spots.
The spare key for the bakkie hidden in the magnetic box under the wheel arch.
The grandmothers’ ring hidden in a sock in the drawer.
The firearm safe key hidden on top of the wardrobe.
If you don’t write down where these things are, they might never be found. Or worse, they might be thrown away by accident when the house is being cleared.
A Will deals with “What” you own. The Planner deals with “Where” it is.
A Will is for Assets, The Planner is for Access
You need both. The Will satisfies the law; the Planner satisfies the life.
Don’t leave your family with a legal document but no roadmap. As heard on Cape Talk, bridging this gap is the modern way to handle estate planning responsibly.
Close the Gap in Your Estate Planning
Don’t leave your family searching for answers. Get the comprehensive guide that covers everything your lawyer missed.
