os/08/20Ls

STUDY UNIT 3
Formolities in the execution

of Wills

Formolities
Person (Chopter 3)
cl

Testomentory

Documenl (Chopter 4)
o Formolities

Copocity
"

Age

r:Menlol Copociiy

Formolilies
: Underhond Will
n Stotutory Will
tr Section 2(l )(o) of
Wills Act

Section I of Wills Act

, "Will" includes codicil
or other testomentory
writing

wiil:

.
.
.

Uniloterol volunlory expression of the wishes of lhe teslotor

ln o legolly prescribed woy [section 2(l)(o)]
Thot determines whol musl hoppen to his property ofter his
deoth

0s/08/20Ls

Formqlilies
Seclion 2(l )(o)

. Sioned by testotor (or other person) or the elcl

. ln lhe presene of lwo or mole competenl witnesses
. \Milnesses must eign
. Testolor (or olher person) must sign eoch poge
. lf signed by mork or olher person - commissioner plus
cerlificole

Siudv Unil

lhen6 I I ohd I

Formolities
Seclion 2(l )(o)

Teslolor
2 compelenl wilnesses
. Teslolor

:. 2 compelenl wilnesses

Commissioner

Srldy Uril Th6me 3 I ond L

Formolities
r: Seclion 2(l )(o)
Teslolor

"someone"
2 compelenl witnesses
:. Commissioner

0s/08/20rs

Formqlities
Ooslhuizen vs Die

"other testomentory

Weesheer

writing"

lf Teslotordeols with ony ONE of the following elements

in o

seporote document fhon his Will:

' Bequeothed property
. Extent of lnterest in property
. ldenlity of beneficlory
sludyUnrTEhe!l.ndl2

Formolities
Ex porle Dovies

Whol is legol noture of

the document

A leslomenlory disposition must ldentify:

.
.
.

Property bequeothed
Extenl of bequesl

ldentity of beneficiory

/n cosu

= involld
Srdy

Unir Th6m6 3

I dnd 3

Formolities
lncorporolion by
refelence

Not occepted in our

low

The document referred to MUST comply wilh section 2(l )(o)

0s/08/201s

Formolities

SIGNATURE - WHAT

S'udyUnrlhemell

ond!2

Formqlilies
"sign" ond "signoture"

Section I

'
'

lncludes the moking

of initiols

And ONLY in lhe cose of lhe Testotor, includes o mork

NB:

O Witnesses ond

commissioner must sign with "signolure"

D Testotor moy sign with "signoture" or mork

Srudy Udr Tl'n6 3

I dnd 3

Formolities
: Full signolure = "sign"

: When is it "signoture"
ond when is it "mork"?

lnitiolled signolure =
ttsigntt
, lnitiolled lefiers =

,' lt will be o "mork"

probobly "sign"
.. Full nome in lellers =
probobly nol "sign"

when it is not o

"signoture"

' Ricketts v Byrne

(Nome in copitol letters does not constltule "signoture"
Test: Did the person intend to sign
SrudyUnrr Ihem6

3 I .nd 3

0s/08/20Ls

Formqlilies
-

.. ttmorktt
:ONLY leslqlor is
qllowed to sign
wilh o mqrk
Cross X, fingerprint,

Requires Commissioner
ond

.; Certificote

rubberslomp
.

Ricketts v Byrne
(Nome in copitol letters doe5 nol constituie "signoture"
Tesh Did lhe person inlend to sign
Srdy Uilr ft@ 3 I ond 3

Formolities

. WHERE

SIGNATURE

srudy Unr

lkme

ond 3

Formolities
,, Teslolor musl sign ol
the end of the will
, Wilnesses musl sign
ofler the leslolor
,, Certificole

onywhere

5rudy Unil

, Testotor must sign oll

lhe poges
., Witnesses must sign the

lost poge - onywhere

'

lMm6 3

Commissioner musi sign

oll the poges

ond 3

0s/08/20rs

Formolities
.

Where is the end of the Will?

Literol interpretotion
. Not ol the botiom of the lost poge
. BUT: where the writing ends

Srudy Unil Them6

I I ond 3

Formqlilies
:Kidwell vs The Mqsler
.

Tesiolor signed I 7 cm below ihe ottestotion clouse ond

I 3 cm below the signoture of the witnesses
Moster soysr not signed ot "end"
Court: Will is involid
Signoture of testotor required os close cs possible lo
end of lhe written porl
Therefore, for leslotor, "end" is where the written
portion ends ond not the bottom of the poge.

'
'
'
.

Srdy

Unil Thm6 3

ond 3

:Kidwell vs The Mosler

Criticism:
Two conflicling principles:
' Aim of legisloture to combot froud
. Guording ogoinst excessive formolism
NB
This cose wos

decided

BEFORE omendment

of Act

os/08/20rs

Formolities

SIGNATURE .
WITNE55E5
s

"dy

Unir

lheh6 3 I d.d I

Formolities
musl sign

ofler lhe teslolor

, Anywhere on lhe losl
,

poge
Teslqlor musl sign oll
poges in presence of
lhe sqme witnesses

BOTH witnesses must

sign in testotor's
presence ond eoch

others'presencel

liebenberg vs lhe Mosler:

Witnesses moy sign onywhere on the lost poge

Srdy

Unil Th6me

3 I ond

3 2

Formqlities
.;Atleslotion clouse

Not required

Orh doy of luly 2O1 5 by the

undersigned iestotor ond witnesses in eoch others'

"Thus signed on this l

presence"

Study Unrl rhehe 3 1 ond 3 2

os/08/20Ls

Formqlities
7t

Sterbon vs Dixon

Attestotion clouse is ot
most o record of how
testotor ond witnesses
intended to sign
Attestotion clouse is not
proof thot porties in
foct executed lhe Will
in occordonce with the
intention expressed in
the soid clouse

Formolities

s'udy Unil Theme J I ond I

Formqlities
'

Commissioner musl
sign oll the poges of
the Will
Except the poge

contoining his
cerlificole
MUST offix certificote
on ony poge of lhe Will

Certificote

- requires
specific conteni/ not
wording
d Sotisfied of tesiotor's
ID

o Document is Will of
tesiotor

Circumslonces:

'
'

Testotor signs with o mork

Someone signs on beholf of testotor
Stidy Unl Thmo 3 I ond I

0s/08/20Ls

Formolities
Circumslonces:

.
'

Testotor signs with o mork or

Someone signs on beholf of testotor

When:

'
'

Preferobly: lmmediotely ot time of signing

Also: As soon os possible (even ofter deoth of
testoior)

Queslion:

'

Con commissioner olso be o witness? NO!

sr|dy Uhr

Thcm6

J I nnd I

Formolities

SOME PAGES VAILD?

srdr unil lhens ! I ond I

Formolities
,Cqn o Will be
portiolly volid?
";

Technicolly speoking,

ln other words:
only some poges
ore involid?

o Wills Act - if one

poge is involid, the
entire Will is involid
tr But: Courts moy

declore properly
executed port, o

volid Will

sludy Unll Thmc 3 I dd 3

os/08/20rs

Requiremenls:
lnvolid poge must contoin only non-essentiol moiter
Dispositions in the volid pori is not offected by
stipulotions in the involid porl
. Volid port must contoin the WHOLE of the dispositions
of the tesiotor's property

.
.

Formolities
tG;.y

M'''*l-- c","-] . Will

contoined properly executed poges

ond poges thol were not properly

executed
Both poges contoined dispositions of

property

.lnvolid

E;.tl=i-L-*;;l

First poge conloined oll the dispositions

Second poge conloined oppointment of
execulor

Mulriple wills
Srudy Unrl

Sene 3 I ond !

Formolities
Rickells vs Byrne

.
.
.

I signed by testotor ond 2

wilnesses ond conloined o complete
Poge

disposition
Poge 2 signed by wilnesses, but te5totor
wrote his nome in full (not signoture)
Poge 2 conioined only ollestotion clouse

Court:

ln order for poge I to be declored

Wlll, it hod to 3tond os o complete

disposition {i,e. contoin oll the

bequests)
Srudy Unil Th6m 3

I oM 3

10

0s/08/201.s

Formolities

sEcTroN 2(t

CHECKLIST

Formolilies
Teslolor signed wilh own signolure

ls the

2.

ls the

3.

ls

will in documenfory form

losl poge of the will signed by the lestotor ond 2 wilnesses
ihe signoture of the teslotor os close os possible to the end of the

wiil
4. Did the testotor sign oll other poges of the Will
5. Were the lestotor ond wilnesses present together when eoch
signed?

6. Did the

witnesses sign

ofter the lestotor

srudy Unil lhome 3 I ond I

Formolities

SECTION 2(1) not

complied with?
sEcTroN 2(3)
Srudy Unir lhme 3

I ond

3 2

1,1