Living abroad? Your South African legal matters can still be handled properly.
Over a million South Africans live overseas — and estates, property, and family matters back home do not pause when you emigrate. We run South African legal matters entirely virtually: consultations in your time zone, documents authenticated in your country, and everything in South Africa handled locally by us.
What we handle from abroad
South African law, delivered wherever you are.
Deceased estates from abroad
Full administration of a South African estate while the heirs or executor live overseas — Master's process, SARS compliance, property transfers, and distribution, with documents authenticated in your country of residence.
Property sales and transfers
Sell, transfer, or manage South African property without travelling — power of attorney, conveyancing coordination, rates and SARS clearances, and non-resident withholding requirements handled end to end.
Powers of attorney and document legalisation
Correctly drafted powers of attorney, and guidance through apostille or embassy authentication so your documents are valid for use in South Africa the first time.
Family matters with SA jurisdiction
Divorce, maintenance, and related matters where South African courts have jurisdiction — run virtually, with appearances handled locally.
Doing business in South Africa
Company registration, employment contracts and labour law compliance for hiring South African staff, POPIA compliance, and commercial contracts under South African law — for foreign companies entering or hiring in SA.
Support for foreign legal teams
Research memoranda on South African law, document review, and drafting support for law firms abroad — delivered under your supervising practitioners, in your time zone.
The boundary we keep
South African law only — scoped in writing, every time.
We advise on South African law for clients anywhere in the world. We do not advise on the law of other countries — that is the province of practitioners admitted there, and any firm claiming otherwise should concern you. Where your matter crosses borders, our engagement letter scopes exactly what we advise on, and we coordinate with qualified local counsel in your jurisdiction where needed. International clients complete the same FICA verification and receive the same written fee proposal as every MLC client — no work begins without both.
Common questions
Straight answers to the questions we hear most.
Yes — that is exactly what this service exists for. We are a virtual-first practice: intake, consultations, document exchange, and matter updates all happen online. Whether you are in London, Dubai, Sydney, Auckland, or Toronto, a South African legal matter can be run from where you are. The only steps that ever require physical presence in South Africa are specific formalities — and for most of those, a properly executed power of attorney lets us act without you flying home.
It depends on the document. Many engagement and instruction documents can be signed electronically. Documents destined for the Deeds Office, the Master of the High Court, or a court generally require original signatures that are authenticated abroad — either by apostille under the Hague Convention (available in most countries) or through a South African embassy or consulate. We prepare the documents, tell you exactly which authentication route applies in your country, and manage the courier logistics for originals.
You receive a written fee proposal before any work begins, as every client does. Payment can be made by international transfer to the firm's account; we confirm banking details through verified channels in writing — never act on banking details received by email alone, from us or anyone else. Foreign clients also complete FICA identity verification, which we handle with certified copies obtained in your country of residence.
The estate must still be reported to the Master of the High Court within 14 days of death — someone in South Africa or a professional can do this on the family's behalf. We handle the entire administration locally: reporting, Letters of Executorship, asset collection, SARS compliance, property transfer, and distribution. Your involvement from abroad is limited to providing documents and decisions, most of which happens over email and video calls at times that suit your time zone.
Yes. A sale can be signed and completed while you remain abroad, using a power of attorney authenticated in your country. We advise on the transfer process and coordinate the conveyancing, rates clearances, and SARS requirements. Non-resident sellers should also be aware of the withholding tax provisions that apply to property sales by non-residents — we flag the requirements early so there are no surprises at transfer.
No — and you should be cautious of anyone who says yes. We are South African legal practitioners and advise on South African law only. Where your matter has a foreign-law component — for example, a will covering assets in two countries — we scope our advice to the South African side and, where useful, coordinate with a qualified practitioner in your jurisdiction.
Consultations are scheduled to suit your time zone, and most of the matter runs asynchronously — email and WhatsApp updates you can read when you wake up. South Africa sits within two hours of most of Europe year-round, which makes live calls straightforward for the UK, EU, and Middle East. For Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas we schedule early-morning or evening slots.
Start from wherever you are.
The intake takes under three minutes. Tell us where you are, what the matter is, and we respond the same business day — South African time.