Willem Francois Bouwer (Snr)

Willem Bouwer obtained his B. Proc from the University of Pretoria in 1981 and was admitted as an attorney the following year. In 2014, Willem gained his right of appearance in the High Court.

During his university years, Willem worked for the Department of Justice, gaining practical experience in the Master’s Office for four years under the leadership of the Chief Master, APJ Bouwer, who was Willem’s father. Willem completed his clerkship at Haasbroek & Boezaart and established his own practice, WF Bouwer Attorneys, in 1986.

Over the years of WF Bouwer Attorneys’ existence, Willem has been appointed as executor in several estates, successfully finalizing their administration without being removed from office for poor administration. Willem is also regularly appointed as an independent executor by the Master Pretoria and Master Johannesburg, and occasionally by the Legal Practice Council, due to the complexity of the estate or the removal of a former executor.

Willem also serves as Curator Bonis and Trustee in various matters. In the past decade, he has frequently been appointed as Trustee in Special Trusts.

Willem is actively involved in the firm’s litigation related to trust and estate matters. Due to his extensive experience in estate administration, he was appointed by the Legal Practice Council as Specialist Examiner of the Deceased Estate Paper for the Attorney Admissions Examinations.

Willem is well known for his successful litigation against the Master of the High Court and have made breakthrough caselaw several court cases, such as Bouwer N.O. vs Saambou Bank (1993 case about acting without a Letter of Curatorship) ; Bouwer N.O. vs the Master of the High Court, Pretoria (2023 case about wrongful Death Certificates in the reporting of an estate) ; Bouwer N.O. & Another vs the Master of the High Court (2023 Supreme Court of Appeal case about Curator Bonis estates) and the amicus curae Full Bench Judgement of the Master of the High Court (2022 case regarding Special Trusts and Curator Bonis estates).

Willem has been married for over 45 years and has four children and six grandchildren, making him a devoted family man.

Department:  Litigation ; Deceased Estates

Email: willem@wfbattorneys.co.za