South African estate administration
takes 12–36 months. Every step has a deadline.
When a spouse dies in South Africa, the surviving partner faces 6 phases, 40+ documents, 7+ institutions, and statutory deadlines that — missed — cause delays measured in months. The estate agent managing the process is running this across 10–20 active cases simultaneously, in WhatsApp threads and shared spreadsheets. EstateHelp is the infrastructure neither of them has.
Two users. One platform. Completely different interfaces.
Estate agent sees
A structured case management system across every active estate. Every document. Every deadline. Every communication with every institution — tracked, logged, and audited. A daily digest at 07:00 of everything overdue across every case.
Surviving spouse sees
A client portal that tells them exactly where the estate is, exactly what is needed from them, and exactly what their agent is doing — in plain English, not form numbers. No more calling for updates.
Build status: 80% complete — Phases A and B delivered
The core case management system, client portal, deadline engine, document management system, communication log, and SmartDocAI integration are fully functional. Phase C — multi-tenancy, the Future Planner partnership deployment, and public launch — is in final preparation.
6 phases · 40+ documents tracked · 7+ institutions · 12–36 month lifecycle · Multi-tenant · SmartDocAI integrated
The problem this solves
There is no central system. No map. No tracker. No one holding the whole picture.
The Agent's Problem
An estate agent managing 15 active cases is juggling 600+ documents, 100+ deadlines across multiple months, and 7+ institutions per case — in WhatsApp threads and shared Google Sheets. A case that goes quiet for three weeks is not closed. It is lost.
The statutory deadline for the Government Gazette creditor notice passed on day 30. Nobody noticed. The estate is now stuck pending a condonation application to the Master of the High Court. This happens. Regularly. And the agent has no system that would have caught it.
The Surviving Spouse's Problem
The surviving spouse calls their agent. The agent says "we're waiting for the Master." The spouse does not know what the Master is, how long it should take, or whether this is normal. They call again in two weeks. Same answer. In three months they have made 12 calls and received 12 identical responses.
Nobody has told them that the Letters of Executorship process typically takes 3–8 weeks, that this is the biggest bottleneck in the entire process, and that while they wait, they have a legal right to R125,000 from the deceased's accounts under Section 13(1) of the Administration of Estates Act — which the bank will not volunteer.
The Section 13(1) Problem
Most surviving spouses wait months for Letters of Executorship before accessing emergency funds. Section 13(1) of the Administration of Estates Act entitles them to up to R125,000 without Letters. Banks do not volunteer this. The app surfaces it immediately at case creation, in Phase 1, as a required action item — not an optional note buried in documentation.
The Executor Fee Problem
Executor fees are capped at 3.5% of gross estate value. On a R3 million estate, that is R105,000 before VAT. Overcharging is common. The surviving spouse signs the Liquidation and Distribution account without understanding what they agreed to. The app shows the statutory formula, and — via the SmartDocAI integration — gives the client a plain-language explanation of the L&D account before they sign it.
The Section 37C Problem
Pension fund death benefits are not part of the deceased estate. The fund's trustees exercise discretion in distribution — the will does not control this. Most families do not know this until the fund announces a different distribution than the will specified. The app flags this at case creation if a pension fund is part of the estate, and adds the S37C claim to the document checklist immediately.
The six phases of estate winding-up
Every South African deceased estate moves through six phases. Every phase has a gating event that unlocks the next one.
The app is structured around these six phases. Every case progresses through them sequentially — some overlap. The agent controls phase transitions manually; the system does not auto-advance. The client sees their progress in a simplified, plain-English view. The gating events are built into the deadline engine — the app flags when a gate has not been cleared and the case cannot move forward.
Immediate
Days 1–14
Reporting the death. Obtaining official documentation. Locating the will. Managing the family's immediate access to funds under Section 13(1). Notifying the bank — which triggers both the account freeze and the entitlement to R125,000 interim release that the bank will not volunteer.
Gating event
Death certificate issued by Home Affairs — nothing downstream is possible without this.
Deadline engine
Report estate to Master: 14 days from date of death (Administration of Estates Act s.7)
Marriage Regime Assessment
Days 1–30 (parallel with Phase 1)
Determining what the surviving spouse legally owns versus what forms part of the estate. The most financially consequential phase in the entire process. The most commonly skipped by non-specialist agents. In a community of property marriage, the surviving spouse owns 50% of all joint assets by law — the bank cannot legally freeze that half. In an out-of-COP marriage with accrual, the surviving spouse may have a claim against the estate that must be calculated and paid before any other distribution.
Gating event
Marriage certificate and ANC reviewed. Marriage regime confirmed in writing by the attorney.
Master of the High Court
Weeks 2–12
Formally reporting the estate. Appointing the executor. Obtaining Letters of Executorship — or Letters of Authority for small estates under R250,000 (Section 18(3) — a faster, simpler process most families do not know exists). Statutory forms: J294 (Death Notice), J243 (Inventory of Assets), J190 (Acceptance of Trust as Executor), J155 (Executor's Oath).
Gating event
Letters of Executorship issued. Without this document, no institution will formally engage. The single biggest bottleneck in the entire process.
Deadline engine
J294 Death Notice: 14 days from date of death. Letters of Executorship: 3–8 weeks typical, often longer.
Banks, Accounts & Financial Assets
Months 2–6
Formally notifying all financial institutions. Opening the estate's dedicated bank account. Settling or transferring all financial products. Claiming life insurance. Lodging pension fund death benefit claims under Section 37C. Stopping debit orders. Closing credit accounts. Transferring investment platforms.
Gating event
Letters of Executorship from Phase 3 — required by every financial institution before they will act.
Deadline engine
S37C pension fund claim: 12 months from date of death (fund-dependent).
Asset Claims & Transfers
Months 3–18
Transferring all assets from the deceased's name into the estate and then to the heirs. Property transfer via conveyancer (3–6 months alone). Vehicle re-registration at NaTIS. Share and unit trust transfer via JSE/CSDP. All insurance and investment claims finalised. The L&D account is advertised in the Government Gazette and a local newspaper — creditors have 30 days to object.
Gating event
Letters of Executorship + completed Liquidation and Distribution Account.
Deadline engine
Government Gazette creditor notice: 30 days waiting period after advertisement. L&D account: 21 days waiting period.
SARS, Tax & Closure
Months 6–36
Filing all outstanding income tax returns for the deceased. Filing the estate duty return (IT144). Obtaining tax clearance from SARS. Obtaining rates clearance for property from the municipality. Distributing assets to heirs and collecting receipts and acquittances. Filing the final account with the Master. Receiving formal executor discharge. The estate is formally closed.
Gating event
SARS tax clearance certificate — the Master will not close the estate without it.
Deadline engine
SARS final income tax return: within 12 months of date of death (agent-adjustable). Estate duty return (IT144): required even when no duty is payable if estate exceeds abatement.
Two users. Two completely different interfaces.
The agent manages the case. The client understands what is happening. Neither interface looks like the other.
The agent interface is dense, technical, and efficient — agents know what J294 and S37C mean. The client portal is warm, human, and deliberately minimal — clients are grieving and need clarity, not features. The same underlying data feeds both. The tone, the terminology, and the information density are entirely different.
Agent Dashboard
Professional interface · Full case management
Client Portal
Surviving spouse · Warm · Minimal · Clear
Three elements only on the home screen
Minimum font size: 16px. High contrast mode available. Every status has both a colour indicator and a text label — never colour alone. Designed for a 65-year-old widow who has never used a case management system.
Status language — agent interface vs client portal
| Agent interface | Client portal |
|---|---|
| Submitted | Done — we sent this to [institution] |
| Awaiting response | We're waiting to hear back from [institution] |
| Required | We need this from you |
| Overdue | This is urgent — please see below |
| Complete | Done |
| N/A | This doesn't apply to your estate |
40+ documents. Generated from 5 questions.
Every estate is different. The checklist is generated at case creation — not manually assembled.
The app does not present all 40+ documents to every case. Five questions at case creation determine which documents are relevant to this specific estate. The checklist is generated automatically, tailored to the marriage regime, estate value, will status, property holdings, and pension fund involvement. The agent does not build the checklist — the system does.
What is the estimated estate value?
Consequence for the checklist
Above R250,000 → Letters of Executorship required (Master of the High Court, 3–8 weeks). Below R250,000 → Letters of Authority available under Section 18(3) — faster, simpler. Most families do not know this threshold exists.
What is the marriage regime?
Consequence for the checklist
Community of Property (COP) → surviving spouse owns 50% of all joint assets. Out of COP with accrual → accrual calculation required before any distribution. Out of COP without accrual → clean separation. Unknown → attorney review required immediately.
Was a valid will found?
Consequence for the checklist
Yes → executor named in will takes precedence. No → intestate succession applies, heirs must nominate executor. Contested → legal dispute process, estate may be frozen pending resolution.
Does the estate include immovable property?
Consequence for the checklist
Yes → adds all Deeds Registry documents, conveyancer required, rates clearance required, property transfer adds 3–6 months to Phase 5. No → Deeds Registry documents removed from checklist.
Did the deceased have a pension or provident fund?
Consequence for the checklist
Yes → adds Section 37C claim documents. Critical flag: pension fund death benefits are NOT part of the deceased estate — the fund's trustees exercise discretion in distribution regardless of the will. Most families do not know this until the fund announces a different distribution.
Document map sample — 8 of 40+ tracked documents
| Form ref | Document | Phase | Institution | Status states | Client description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BI-1663 | Death Certificate | Phase 01 | Home Affairs | Not obtainedApplied forObtainedCertified copies made | The official document confirming the death. The starting point for everything. |
| J294 | Death Notice | Phase 03 | Master of the High Court | Not preparedPreparedSubmittedAcknowledged | The formal report of the death to the Master. Must be filed within 14 days. |
| J243 | Inventory of Assets and Liabilities | Phase 03 | Master of the High Court | Not preparedIn preparationCompletedSubmitted | A full list of everything the deceased owned and owed at the date of death. |
| — | Section 13(1) Interim Release Application | Phase 01 | Bank | Not appliedAppliedAmount confirmedReleased | Your legal right to access up to R125,000 before Letters of Executorship are issued. Most banks do not tell you this. |
| S37C | Pension Fund Death Benefit Claim | Phase 04 | Pension/provident fund | Not claimedClaim submittedTrustee meeting scheduledDecision receivedPaid | The fund's trustees decide who receives this benefit — your spouse's will does not control it. |
| IT144 | Estate Duty Return | Phase 06 | SARS | Not required (assessed)RequiredIn preparationSubmittedAssessedClearance issued | Required even when no duty is payable. SARS must assess the return before the estate can be closed. |
| — | Liquidation and Distribution Account | Phase 05 | Master of the High Court | Not startedDraft in preparationAdvertisedObjection period openObjection period closedConfirmedFiled with Master | The final financial accounting of the estate. The document you are asked to sign. Understand what you are agreeing to before you sign it. |
| DHA-24 | Marriage Certificate | Phase 02 | Home Affairs | Not obtainedObtainedCertifiedRegime confirmed | Proves the marriage. Determines what you legally own versus what forms part of the estate. |
SmartDocAI integration
Every supported document in the case file can be explained in plain language — without leaving the platform.
SmartDocAI is CenturionAI's document intelligence platform. EstateHelp integrates it directly at the document level — every supported estate document in the case file has an "Analyse with SmartDocAI" button. The agent clicks once. The analysis is stored against the document in the case file.
The agent then makes a single decision: share this analysis with the client, or keep it as an internal note. If shared, it appears in the client portal alongside the document — in plain English, with specific SA legal context, specific to that document, for that estate.
The L&D account is the document where families sign what they do not understand. The SmartDocAI analysis gives them a fighting chance.
Integration flow
8 supported documents — estate module
Antenuptial Contract (ANC)
Determines the surviving spouse's ownership rights — the most financially consequential document in Phase 2
Last Will and Testament
Identifies the executor, named heirs, and any special bequests that affect the distribution sequence
Death Notice (J294)
Confirms the statutory information filed with the Master — errors here delay the entire estate
Bank Account Freeze / Interim Release
Surfaces the Section 13(1) entitlement — the right most banks do not volunteer
Life Insurance Death Claim Form
Identifies what the insurer requires, what is excluded, and what the waiting period is
Pension Fund Death Benefit Claim (S37C)
Explains the trustee discretion — and why the will does not control the outcome
Liquidation and Distribution Account
The document where executor overcharging occurs and families sign what they do not understand
Estate Duty Return (IT144)
Flags the Section 4(q) spousal rollover and the S37C exclusion — the two most commonly missed reductions
Credit model
SmartDocAI analysis credits are included in the case management subscription. The client does not need a SmartDocAI account. Analysis results are stored permanently in the case file and do not expire.
10/month
Solo tier
25/month
Practice tier
60/month
Growth tier
Technical architecture
What runs under the platform.
Two completely different frontend experiences feeding one backend. Multi-tenant practice isolation enforced at the database layer — not the application layer. SmartDocAI and the SA Financial Services MCP Server are integrated as external services — no duplication of document intelligence or statutory calculation logic.
Agent Dashboard
Case management · Deadlines · Documents · Communication log · Reports
Client Portal
Phase progress · What we need · Recent updates · Document upload · Messaging
Next.js 14 App Router · Vercel
Route-level role gating · Shared component library with SmartDocAI · SSR for client portal SEO
Case Engine
Supabase PostgreSQL · RLS on practice_id · Multi-tenant isolation at DB layer
File Storage
Supabase Storage · RLS enforced · Signed URLs · Version control on re-upload
Real-time
Supabase Realtime · Live updates for agent and client portal · No polling
SmartDocAI Estate Module
8 document types · Plain-language analysis · Stored in case file · Agent controls client visibility
SA Financial Services MCP Server
Estate duty calculation · 3.5% executor fee formula · S13(1) R125,000 threshold · Section 4(q) rollover
Deadline Engine + Notification Layer
Statutory deadlines
Hardcoded from date of death · Cannot be deleted
Agent-set deadlines
Custom · Pre-populated industry defaults
Daily 07:00 digest
All overdue across all cases · SendGrid
Critical alerts
3-day escalation · 0-day critical · Twilio SMS
Database schema — key tables
cases
id, case_number, agent_id, deceased_name, deceased_id_number, date_of_death, marriage_regime, estate_value_estimate, will_status, has_property, has_pension, current_phase, case_status
case_documents
id, case_id, document_key, phase, status, institution, assigned_to, due_date, file_path, is_na
case_deadlines
id, case_id, document_id, deadline_type (statutory/custom), deadline_date, status (pending/complete/overdue/snoozed), snooze_reason
case_communications
id, case_id, institution, contact_name, contact_reference, method, summary, outcome, follow_up_date, share_with_client
case_messages
id, case_id, sender_id, sender_role, content, is_read, sent_at
case_files
id, case_id, document_id, file_path, version, is_current, smartdoc_analysis_id, share_with_client
users
id, email, role (owner/agent/team_member/client/external), practice_id
practices
id, name, owner_id, contact_email, subscription_tier, subscription_status, branded_portal_url
Frontend
Next.js 14 App Router · TypeScript · Tailwind CSS · Vercel — same stack as SmartDocAI
Backend
FastAPI Python · Railway · shared API patterns and security architecture with SmartDocAI
Database
Supabase PostgreSQL · Row Level Security · multi-tenant via practice_id · real-time subscriptions
Auth
Supabase Auth · email/password · Google OAuth · MFA/TOTP · 4 roles: owner/agent/team/client/external
File Storage
Supabase Storage · RLS-enforced · signed URLs with expiry · version control on re-upload
Notifications
SendGrid (email) · Twilio (SMS) · in-app portal messages · daily 07:00 digest via Supabase Edge Functions
AI — Documents
Anthropic Claude via SmartDocAI Estate module API — 8 document types · analysis stored in case file
AI — Calc
SA Financial Services MCP Server · estate duty calculation · executor fee formula · Section 13(1) threshold
Payments
PayFast — SA gateway · subscription billing · R999 onboarding fee · annual billing with 2-month discount
Deployment
Vercel (frontend, auto-deploy) + Railway (backend, auto-deploy) — same pattern as SmartDocAI
Pricing — the practice pays, not the client
The platform is the agent's infrastructure. The cost is absorbed into the professional fee.
The estate administration practice pays for the platform. Clients — surviving spouses — do not pay for the app directly. The cost is absorbed into the agent's professional service fee, the same way a practice absorbs the cost of their case management software, their filing system, and their phone.
Every tier includes unlimited client portals. The surviving spouse never pays to access their case information, upload their documents, or message their agent.
Onboarding — R999 once-off (Solo and Practice)
Solo
R699
R999 once-off
Practice
R1,499
R999 once-off
Growth
R2,999
Included
Enterprise
Custom
Annual billing: 2 months free (10% discount)
Regulatory position
Case coordination and document support. Not legal advice. Not tax advice. Not a co-executor.
What the app does — not regulated
- Case tracking and project management across the 6-phase lifecycle
- Document organisation, status tracking, and version control
- Communication logging per institution per case
- Deadline management and automated reminders
- Client progress visibility in plain English
- Document explanation via SmartDocAI (information, not legal advice)
- Template letters for institutional communication — agent reviews and sends
What the app does not do — and must never do
- File documents with the Master of the High Court on behalf of the executor
- Give legal advice — all SmartDocAI output includes explicit disclaimers
- Calculate or validate executor fee invoices (displays the 3.5% formula only)
- File tax returns with SARS (tracks the filing, does not interface with eFiling)
- Act as a trust company or nominee executor
- Make decisions about estate distribution or beneficiary entitlements
Client onboarding disclaimer — auto-generated for every case
"The services provided through this platform constitute estate administration coordination and document support. They do not constitute legal advice, financial advice, or tax advice. You should consult a qualified South African attorney, financial advisor, or tax practitioner for advice specific to your estate."
The client acknowledges this disclaimer at first login to the client portal. Acknowledgement is recorded and timestamped.
Build phases — 80% complete
Three build phases. Phases A and B are done. Phase C is in final preparation.
Phase A — MVP
● CompletePhase B — Operational Depth
● CompletePhase C — Scale and Partnership
⬤ In Final PreparationBuilt for South African estate administration
Managing deceased estates without this infrastructure is a liability for the agent and a disservice to the family.
Phase C is in final preparation. If you are an estate agent, paralegal, financial educator, or money coach managing South African deceased estates — this was built for your practice.