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WILLS: DEATH CERTIFICATE; OR SAVIOUR AFTER DEATH?

Source: Jacob Z. Soung

WILLS: DEATH CERTIFICATE; OR SAVIOUR AFTER DEATH?
MarryRight Ghana

I humbly invite my cherished readers to follow me in this journey of brief but comprehensive article which is intended to educate all persons who may want to know more about making a 
valid Will and the reasons for making a Will in accordance with law. It has been my desire to share my opinion on the above subject matter having experienced, though in a short while in 
the legal profession, the challenges that our Courts and law practitioners as well as lay persons have had for some time now in Ghana. A Will is a very important document in the lifetime 
of all persons, particularly for persons of the ages of 18 years and above with reference to the laws of Ghana. 

Despite its importance, many persons hold the perception that a Will is the preserve of those who are about to join their maker. Yet, many others hold the belief that a Will does not resolve any issue because after the death of the testator, the courts are still inundated with cases of estate matters even where there are valid Wills in respect of those properties. Others question the relevance of a Will when PNDCL 111 makes provision for the distribution of the properties of a person who dies without making a Will. Many others hold a perception, though erroneously, that once a person makes a Will, it will automatically facilitate the early death of that person even if he or she would not have died that early. These are, but a few of the questions and perceptual beliefs that spark my curiosity to discuss comprehensively the issues of Wills in Ghana and the nuances it may entail in its execution process. Indeed, a Will is, but an empty document if the purpose for which it was made by the testator is eventually not achieved. Unless, for emphasis at some point, this article will solely deal with Wills and not Letters of Administration (L/A), even though most of the procedures described in the article are applicable to LA mutatis mutandis.


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