For many fathers, paternal figures, and providers, it starts with one question: if I were no longer here, would the people I love know what my wishes were? And would the plan I leave behind protect them with as little delay and stress as possible?

The 2025 Sanlam Legacy Wills Survey found that while most parents provide for their children through funeral cover (54%) and life insurance (49%), only 33% have a will. A will brings those provisions together, setting out who should care for minor children, how assets should be distributed, and how funds can be protected.

Advocate Sankie Morata CFP^®, Sanlam Trust Chief Executive, says many people still confuse a product with a plan. "People think that when we have an insurance policy or funeral cover, we’ve done our financial planning. But financial planning is holistic. It must include retirement planning, savings, estate planning, and risk planning."

For fathers and providers, that holistic plan can begin with checking your will, your beneficiary nominations, and your insurance cover.

Start with your will and keep it current

A will sits at the heart of every estate plan, but it only works if it reflects your life as it is now, not as it was when you signed it. Morata recommends reviewing your will at least once a year, and when major life changes happen. “When circumstances change, like a newborn, a divorce, or a death in the family, then your will must be revised.” The same applies when your finances change, for example, due to the acquisition or sale of a business or an asset.

The risks are high for those who put it off. The survey shows that 66% of South Africans still don’t have a will. Without one, an estate is wound up according to the Intestate Succession Act, which divides assets by using a fixed legal formula rather than following personal last wishes. This can cause delays, uncertainty and animosity as families wait, often for years, for the estate to be finalised.

Check your beneficiaries on every policy and fund

An up-to-date will is only one part of the picture. The beneficiaries named on your life policies, investments and retirement funds should also reflect your current circumstances. “If your beneficiary nominations aren’t up to date, you could end up with the wrong people inheriting, possibly individuals you’d never intended should benefit,” Morata warns.

He adds that retirement funds work differently, which catches many families off guard. Retirement fund death benefits don’t form part of a deceased estate. They’re governed by the Pension Funds Act, and the fund’s trustees ultimately decide how they’re paid, based on your financial dependants. Your nomination form guides that decision, which is why it’s important to keep it current.

Morata highlights another consideration that is often overlooked. “If one of your beneficiaries, like an adult child, dies without a will of their own, the inheritance you carefully passed on can itself fall into intestacy. Legacy needs to flow in the right direction, to the right people. So, teaching your children and spouse about their own wills forms part of protecting yours.”

Make sure your cover still fits your family

Cover that was fit for purpose five years ago may fall short today. The tests, Morata says, are adequacy and liquidity. “Ask yourself what you are insuring, and what risk you’re covering. Should you die today, will this cover maintain your loved ones’ standard of living?”

Morata says three checks matter here.

Morata also recommends running a living liquidation and distribution account. “This is a simple exercise your adviser can do to show what your estate would cost, and what would be left to pass on, if you died today.”

Treat your financial adviser like the family doctor

Pulling all of this together is hard to do alone, which is why Morata’s strongest advice is to build a relationship with a trusted financial adviser. “Financial planners should be treated like doctors in the family,” he says. “When a father goes to a doctor to look after his health, he should approach his finances with the same care, by speaking to a financial adviser who can help him plan for the long term. A good adviser gives holistic advice that connects your will, beneficiaries, cover and estate plan, rather than selling a single policy in isolation.”

A legacy of love

For Morata, estate planning is about making sure the people you care for are not left trying to find their way through grief, paperwork, and uncertainty without a clear plan. “Fathers must create legacies of love and instil confidence in the people they brought into this world. If you’re taken early and can’t play that role, let your financial plan and your estate plan do it for you.”