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Gretchen Barkhuizen-Barbosa

Practice Head, Director

Gretchen Barkhuizen-Barbosa is Director and Head of our Trusts & Estates practice. She specialises in the field of estate administration and trusts. Gretchen has extensive experience in the administration of South African and foreign deceased estates, drafting and reviewing of wills and the establishment, registration and administration of trusts.

+27 (0)11 562 1250
gretchen.barkhuizen@cdhlegal.comJohannesburgCape Town
Gretchen Barkhuizen-Barbosa

About Gretchen

About Gretchen

Gretchen began her career in 2009 as a Candidate Attorney at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. She was appointed as an Associate in 2011 and promoted to Senior Associate in 2013. Gretchen was promoted to Director in 2016. In 2023 Gretchen was appointed as the Head our Trusts & Estates practice. Gretchen also serves on CDH's Social and Ethics committee.

Credentials

Credentials

Education

  • BCom (law) cum laude, LLB cum laude, LLM (corporate law) cum laude, University of the Free State
  • Year of admission as an attorney: 2010
  • Year of admission as a notary public: 2011
  • Registered with the Legal Practice Council

 

Languages

Languages

  • English
  • Afrikaans

About Gretchen

Gretchen began her career in 2009 as a Candidate Attorney at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. She was appointed as an Associate in 2011 and promoted to Senior Associate in 2013. Gretchen was promoted to Director in 2016. In 2023 Gretchen was appointed as the Head our Trusts & Estates practice. Gretchen also serves on CDH's Social and Ethics committee.

Credentials

Education

  • BCom (law) cum laude, LLB cum laude, LLM (corporate law) cum laude, University of the Free State
  • Year of admission as an attorney: 2010
  • Year of admission as a notary public: 2011
  • Registered with the Legal Practice Council

 

Languages

  • English
  • Afrikaans

Experience

Estate planning and advising

Gretchen's experience includes personal estate planning and advising on related tax consequences, the registration of public benefit organisations and non-profit organisations. In addition, she also has experience in the drafting of antenuptial contracts, the legal authentication of documents and the Notarial protesting of bills of exchange.

Experience includes

  • Administration of both South African and foreign deceased estates.
  • Resealing of foreign grants of probate.
  • Drafting and reviewing of wills and trust deeds.
  • Registration and termination of testamentary and inter vivo trusts.
  • Establishment and registration of public benefit organisations.
  • Estate planning.
  • Advising on tax consequences relating to succession planning.
  • Drafting of antenuptial contracts.
  • Legal authentication of documents.
  • Assisting with the institution of claims against deceased estate and the filing of objections against Liquidation and Distribution Accounts.
  • Notarial protesting of bills of exchange.

News

Trusts: Now an administrative nightmare?
Trusts & Estates Law

Trusts: Now an administrative nightmare?

South Africa’s recent greylisting has necessitated urgent changes to inter alia the Trust Property Control Act 57 of 1988 (Act). Amendments have been made to sections 1, 6, 8, 10,...
Estate planning gone wrong: Reducing an accrual claim by establishing a trust
Trusts & Estates Law

Estate planning gone wrong: Reducing an accrual claim by establishing a trust

Proper estate planning eliminates a myriad of life’s “ what ifs ?”. It involves planning well in advance to avoid a lot of uncertainty and unpleasant eventualities. When a couple contemplates getting...
Are endowments all that they’re trumped up to be? - An estate duty consideration
Trusts & Estates Law

Are endowments all that they’re trumped up to be? - An estate duty consideration

In terms of section 1 of the Long-Term Insurance Act 52 of 1998 (LTI Act), a “life policy” is defined as “a contract in terms of which a person, in return for a premium, undertakes...
Duties of Trustees
Trusts & Estates Law

Duties of Trustees

The role of a trustee is important. Not only is the trustee responsible for managing the trust in line with the law, but there are duties and obligations which must be complied with,...
Planning for death: File your life - today, not tomorrow
Trusts & Estates Law

Planning for death: File your life - today, not tomorrow

Our world is vastly different – more so than most could have imagined before this pandemic. We face a stark reality – increased deaths and uncertain futures; the stress of the unknown,...

All articles by Gretchen
Emily sits down with Gretchen to discuss a critical yet often overlooked topic: Estate planning for women-owned businesses in SA
Trusts & Estates Law

Emily sits down with Gretchen to discuss a critical yet often overlooked topic: Estate planning for women-owned businesses in SA

Join Trusts & Estates practice Director, Emily West as she sits down with Practice Head, Gretchen Barkhuizen-Barbosa to discuss a critical yet often overlooked topic: Estate Planning...

All videos by Gretchen
Estate Planning for women-owned businesses
Trusts & Estates Law

Estate Planning for women-owned businesses

Join Trusts & Estates practice Director, Emily West as she sits down with Practice Head, Gretchen Barkhuizen-Barbosa to discuss a critical yet often overlooked topic: Estate Planning...
Exploring the Trusts & Estates Practice
Trusts & Estates Law

Exploring the Trusts & Estates Practice

Director and Head of the Trusts & Estates Practice Gretchen Barkhuizen-Barbosa, together with Senior Associate Emily West on CDH Conversations podcast.

All podcasts by Gretchen

Market recognition

  • Chambers Global 2024 ranked Gretchen, Head of our Trusts & Estates practice, in Band 1

    for Private Wealth Law.

Market recognition

  • Chambers Global 2024 ranked Gretchen, Head of our Trusts & Estates practice, in Band 1

    for Private Wealth Law.

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