ENSafrica

Deon Beachen is a director in ENSafrica’s Private Clients department. He is an experienced wealth management attorney and represents national and international high net-worth families and individuals in all areas of estate and succession planning. Deon has extensive experience in local and cross-border estate and succession planning and regularly advises multi-nationals on a wide array of issues.  He specialises in on-and offshore estate and inheritance planning, wealth transfer strategies, business succession planning, asset protection, philanthropic planning, the formulation of multi-jurisdictional Wills, the establishment and management of trusts, the winding-up of estates, probate, exchange control, estate duty and related tax issues.

Deon is regularly called to advise on commercial transactions involving trusts and estates. He is able to assist a party undergoing a divorce by assessing and advising on the impact of settlement negotiations/anticipated settlement agreement to his or her estate/estate plan.

He acts for many influential high net-worth clients and has acted as legal counsel in several high profile matters. He has held numerous presentations relating to his areas of expertise and has authored numerous published articles.

Deon’s specialism extends to  the winding-up of deceased estates/probate and the administration of trusts. His practice provides assistance to many international clients requiring executorship and probate services in South Africa and, similarly, to many South African clients requiring probate support internationally. A large component of his practice involves resolving contentious trusts, Wills, estates and probate disputes where he has acted for executors, trustees, beneficiaries and various corporations.

Deon assists clients with the establishment and ongoing implementation of South African and offshore trusts as an appropriate vehicle for strategically diversifying wealth offshore and serving as a hedge in times of economic and political instability, growing family wealth and planning for future generations.

He regularly deals with the Master of the High Court and provides assistance to individuals who are incapable of managing their own financial affairs through curatorship applications via the High Court, and also assists clients in the regularisation of their exchange control affairs with the South African Reserve Bank.

Deon is a member of the Fiduciary Institute of Southern Africa and sits on its disciplinary panel. He is also a member of the South African Institute of Tax Professionals.