The deceased, Alfred Samuel Brown, executed a will in 1995 leaving his entire estate to his wife, Cecilia Brown. Shortly before travelling for work in August 2007 and after recent illness, he dictated a further will to his wife, who wrote it out in her own handwriting. The will was signed by the deceased and witnessed by two other persons. The deceased died a few days later. His wife lodged the later will with the Master and was appointed executor after her rehabilitation from insolvency. The Master indicated that she was disqualified from benefiting under the will in terms of section 4A of the Wills Act because she had written out the will. She successfully obtained an ex parte High Court order declaring her competent to benefit. The deceased’s daughters from a prior marriage applied for rescission of that order, contending that section 4A limited the spouse’s benefit to a child’s share under intestate succession. The High Court dismissed the rescission application, and the daughters appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal.