By Marnus Mostert
What do singer Amy Winehouse, artist Pablo Picasso, author Stieg Larsson and SA performer Riky Rick all have in common? While fame or success might be the first thing that springs to mind, the answer is actually that all of these celebrities died without a will, leaving a complex web of financial and personal affairs to be untangled by their loved ones.
If youre a cynic, you may be thinking, At least they were left with money to help ease the pain but the reality is that in several of these cases, those closest to the deceased such as their life partners ended up getting nothing, as the deceased had no will in place explicitly stating what their partner should receive in the event of their death.
It sounds like a strange and dark question, but the reality is that many of us are ill-prepared for death. While no one likes to think about dying, the reality is that if you do not make provisions, those you love most in the world will suffer the consequences of your lack of preparation.
Every person needs to have a clear and legally-sound will in place, and should also have some form of cover, such as life insurance, to help cover the expenses associated with death as well as leave something behind for their families.
