Been Thinking About Making A Will But Not Got Round To It? This Is The Month To Do It

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Will Aid runs for the month of November. In exchange for a voluntary donation to one of nine great charities supported by Will Aid, a local participating solicitor will draw you up a basic will to provide you with some peace of mind that your loved ones will be provided for according to your wishes in the event of your death. Not the most cheerful of topics for sure, but having had to deal with the estate of my brother who never left a will, and my mother who left one that was over twenty years old, I can vouch for the additional grief that the absence of a will can cause when you least need it.

Link is HERE:

http://www.willaid.org.uk/

Cheers

 

[sully]

Thanks. That might just be the nudge I needed.....

 

[Thunder Bolt]

If you're in a union, they will get a solicitor to draw it up free of charge.

It's definitely worth doing.

 

[BigGully]

Will Aid runs for the month of November. In exchange for a voluntary donation to one of nine great charities supported by Will Aid, a local participating solicitor will draw you up a basic will to provide you with some peace of mind that your loved ones will be provided for according to your wishes in the event of your death. Not the most cheerful of topics for sure, but having had to deal with the estate of my brother who never left a will, and my mother who left one that was over twenty years old, I can vouch for the additional grief that the absence of a will can cause when you least need it.

Link is HERE:

http://www.willaid.org.uk/

Cheers

I am doing it too, but I think its worth remembering that the first consultation might be free, but the actual nitty gritty of say Lasting Power of Attorney or anything to do with the Deeds of Trust stuff soon adds up.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Good shout. We took advantage of this previously knowing what a pain it is to deal with all the processes at a difficult time. Make sure your folks have one in place too. If you have elderly parents you also might want to think about powers of attorney whilst they are capable of signing them - it really is frustratingly difficult if you are suddenly expected to make decisions and take actions on their behalf but don't have the authority to do so.

 

[Common as Mook]

Good shout. We took advantage of this previously knowing what a pain it is to deal with all the processes at a difficult time. Make sure your folks have one in place too. If you have elderly parents you also might want to think about powers of attorney whilst they are capable of signing them - it really is frustratingly difficult if you are suddenly expected to make decisions and take actions on their behalf but don't have the authority to do so.

No one signed up to it in B&H. Nearest is Haywards Heath

 

[Hastings gull]

Good shout. We took advantage of this previously knowing what a pain it is to deal with all the processes at a difficult time. Make sure your folks have one in place too. If you have elderly parents you also might want to think about powers of attorney whilst they are capable of signing them - it really is frustratingly difficult if you are suddenly expected to make decisions and take actions on their behalf but don't have the authority to do so.

Could not agree more. It wasn't the cheapest venture, as solicitors et al, all want to earn handsomely, but on balance it is worth it. One thing I did pick up on is that the DIY wills, which you can purchase to save money, are often rejected by Probate, as they are not "tight" enough. Of course a solicitor might well tell you that, as it is hardly in their interest, if all the punters go elsewhere, but I think that there may be more than a grain of truth to it. It really is best to be totally and properly prepared.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Made a will after our son was born back in 94! There is never a better time than now to make a will! Also its worth checking an old will and making any updates are done as required.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I have been thinking about Power of Attorney recently. A friend of mine has had a stroke which can happen to anyone.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I have been thinking about Power of Attorney recently. A friend of mine has had a stroke which can happen to anyone.

Excellent idea....covering finances and mental health

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Excellent idea....covering finances and mental health

Yes, there are two different sorts of POA.

https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney/overview

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

My advice when looking at a will is to ensure you mention anyone you're not giving anything / a limited amount to, this recognises you were aware of them at the time of writing and can stop any legal challenge in its tracks (ex-wives, step children, children, siblings etc) and also look at the context around joint ownership of houses so if either yourself or wife, husband, partner etc need to go into care in protects your home.

 

[halbpro]

I'm 29 and have pretty much no assets (no house, no car, no major savings). Is there any point for me?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I'm 29 and have pretty much no assets (no house, no car, no major savings). Is there any point for me?

Have you got enough insurance to bury/cremate you? It's over £4K now. You need to nominate someone to organise it and carry out your wishes.

 

[halbpro]

Have you got enough insurance to bury/cremate you? It's over £4K now. You need to nominate someone to organise it and carry out your wishes.

I have contents insurance for my rented flat. That is literally all I have in terms of insurance.

 

[pearl]

Have you got enough insurance to bury/cremate you? It's over £4K now. You need to nominate someone to organise it and carry out your wishes.

don't 29 year olds have more important stuff to worry about imho

 

[Thunder Bolt]

don't 29 year olds have more important stuff to worry about imho

It's left to relatives to try and find four grand when someone dies suddenly. Accidents can happen to anyone, and it adds to the grief of their nearest and dearest. Funerals are rising at a rate of £1,000 a year so next year it will be £5K for a simple cremation.
I've seen several Just Giving pages for people who have died suddenly without any insurance.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Worth sorting out joint accounts as partners can be left in the lurch after a death with accounts getting frozen,check pension to make sure spouse has been added etc! So much to do and the zombie apocalypse just round the corner

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Yes, there are two different sorts of POA.

https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney/overview

Enduring powers of attorney (EPA) was replaced by lasting power of attorney (LPA) back in 2007. However, if you made and signed an EPA before 1 October 2007, it’s still valid.

I set up an EPA just before the switchover in 2007 on solicitor [will-writer] advice - the missus has the same POE on me.

I call the the very sad story that motivated us to do this. Mr & Mrs average family with a couple of kids, mortgage etc. etc. Mr went out for a cycle ride with the kids and was clipped by the wing-mirror of a passing lorry [he was wearing a cycle helmet]. The collision put him into a permanent vegetative state - not dead in the eyes of the law but totally incapable of signing / agreeing and legal paperwork. As with most families, everything was in joint names so the wife, as well as having to deal with the crisis of the accident, was unable to make any shared financial decisions. They got into all sorts of arrears over the year he remained on life-support, threatened with repossession of the family home and a whole load of unpaid bills.

In a bizarre way, the day he died was the greatest relief to the family as with the death certificate she was then able to take control of all thoise shared financial issues. If she had POE in place [bit like an insurance] a year of total and utter grief on finance could have been avoided and allowed the family to focus on the emotional grief. Very sad story, so easily avoided by POE - it was a while ago when we did ours but it was either very cheap or free - I would urge anyone who has shared financial dealings to set up a POE today.

 

[pearl]

It's left to relatives to try and find four grand when someone dies suddenly. Accidents can happen to anyone, and it adds to the grief of their nearest and dearest. Funerals are rising at a rate of £1,000 a year so next year it will be £5K for a simple cremation.
I've seen several Just Giving pages for people who have died suddenly without any insurance.

not if you opt for Straight to Cremation