About us
Meet the team
Every member of our team was chosen with our sights set firmly on providing a specialised, benchmarked, and innovative service. At Smalman Inc. we don’t settle for second-best so that our valued clients don’t have to either.
Willem Smalman
Attorney, Conveyancer & Notary
willem@smalmaninc.co.za
C: 082 868 0910 | T: 012 342 1410
National Wills Week: Do You Really Need 6 Types of Will?
At the heart of your estate planning is your will (“Last Will and Testament”). Without it, you lose your right to choose your heirs, to choose the executor of your estate, and to choose who will look after your children and your family trusts when you die. But there’s lots of online chatter about other types of “will” such as offshore wills, digital wills, business wills, ethical wills and living wills. What are they and do you really need to put them all in place?
Better Late Than Never: Marriage Law Drags Itself into the 21st Century
For decades, South African law used the husband’s legal home at the time of marriage to decide which country’s law governed a couple’s financial and property rights when they had ties to more than one country. A recent Western Cape High Court judgment declared that rule unconstitutional and introduced a gender-neutral framework for deciding which country’s law applies. Courts elsewhere in the country are not bound by the judgment but are likely to follow it.
A Pothole Causes You to Crash. Can You Sue the Government?
In most cases hitting a pothole results in a damaged tyre or wheel. But for one unfortunate motorcyclist who hit a 60cm behemoth near George, it meant losing a leg. The High Court held the Department of Infrastructure liable for his damages, finding that the roads authority had failed to detect, repair or warn road users about a dangerous defect it knew, or should have known, about.
Can Your Neighbour’s CCTV Camera Point into Your Property?
Home security cameras are increasingly common, but protecting your property does not give you an unrestricted right to monitor your neighbours. A dispute between Cape Town neighbours has clarified where the line may be drawn. The bottom line? CCTV surveillance of a neighbour’s private spaces can infringe their constitutional rights to privacy and dignity.
Let us help simplify the process
Buying or selling a property can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming with all the legal and administrative tasks involved. We are here to simplify the process and ensure a smooth and successful transaction.