[Misc] Making a Will ?
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Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
It depends how complicated your family situation is. You can write a will yourself naming your executors or the other end of the scale is to pay a solicitor. There are will writing companies.
My other half was in a Union when we wrote ours, so did it through the Union with their legal bods.
My other half was in a Union when we wrote ours, so did it through the Union with their legal bods.
And how complicated you want your will to be. If you are just leaving everything to one or two people - don't pay for a solicitor, just do it yourself. Yes there are guides online. If you are wanting more complicated things like trusts or such-like - it is wise to consult a Solicitor. What we did was explain roughly what we wanted - they drafted something up, we paid for that work and then finished it off / changed it and so on later on. That is - we paid for the advice we wanted, but stopped short of paying them to write the actual words.
Can I have your hat?
Palacefinder General
Well-known member
- Apr 5, 2019
- 2,594
£10 online, as long as it’s countersigned by two witnesses it will do the trick and can be amended down the line for a small fee. Plenty of online companies, you complete your details etc., print and get it witnessed and can log back into your account whenever to make amendments.
We used the Cats Protection League ( yes I know it sounds strange ! ). Many charities will do them for 'free' just as long as they are straight forward and you leave at least £1k in your will each to the charity. No up front cost.
AmexRuislip
Retired Spy 🕵️♂️
Billy the Fish
Technocrat
I've recently completed probate, I found Saga really helpful. https://www.saga.co.uk/magazine/money/personal-finance/inheritance/how-to-make-a-will
The will was a print at home jobbie but had to be in the right format with two witnesses
The will was a print at home jobbie but had to be in the right format with two witnesses
studio150
Well-known member
Very easy to do, as others have mentioned above.
Just don't keep putting it off.
Just don't keep putting it off.
vegster
Sanity Clause
- May 5, 2008
- 28,273
Was it Groucho Marx who said " I do not wish to achieve immortality through my work, I'd rather do it by not dying "
thedonkeycentrehalf
Moved back to wear the gloves (again)
- Jul 7, 2003
- 9,357
We did ours as part of a charity will week for the local hospice. You don't pay the solicitor as they donate their fee to the hospice but also you do not have to make any donation in your will to the charity
Shropshire Seagull
Well-known member
You can easily write a will while shielding.
However, the will must be witnessed - 2 people in the room watching your wife sign the will document, they then add their details at the end of the will to confirm your wife actually signed it in the presence.
I don't know where the law stands on this - maybe the witnesses can view through the window from outside and then the document immediately passed through the window for them to sign as witnesses.
Pretty sure Skype or other video witnessing would not be good enough - speak to a solicitor and pose the "witness for someone shielding" question to them - should be okay to advise for free over the phone #maybe.
However, the will must be witnessed - 2 people in the room watching your wife sign the will document, they then add their details at the end of the will to confirm your wife actually signed it in the presence.
I don't know where the law stands on this - maybe the witnesses can view through the window from outside and then the document immediately passed through the window for them to sign as witnesses.
Pretty sure Skype or other video witnessing would not be good enough - speak to a solicitor and pose the "witness for someone shielding" question to them - should be okay to advise for free over the phone #maybe.
Tokyohands
Well-known member
I am also in the process of getting one sorted, via the law firm my dad worked for in Dorset. I'm doing it remotely of course as i'm not in the country but it's pretty straight forward. You'll complete a Will Information Form then depending on how complicated the Will is going to be (such as your family situation and how/where your assets are spread/Trust requirements etc) you might need some telephone/video call time with the solicitor, which will make the process more expensive.
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,365
Grombleton
Surrounded by <div>s
- Dec 31, 2011
- 7,356
It's become a bone of contention during lockdown, as the govt haven't amended to allow for video-witnessing or digital signatures of wills. It's still possible to do whilst shielding/distancing, but just not as easy as rocking up in the same room as previous.
OzMike
Well-known member
We really must get around to doing this as getting older.
- Jul 10, 2003
- 27,781
Just one word of caution with using or leaving bequests to charities. Some of the bigger ones now have legal teams that will try to increase the amount left in the will on the basis of time elapsed and inflation, or any other excuse they can find (arguing that it was the intention of the deceased to leave 'that proportion' to them).
Having been executor, I have come across it once and have to say I was both amazed and disgusted by the way they went about it. (And I'm certainly not talking about the Cats Protection League).
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OzMike
Well-known member
Not really a big fan of domestic animals, prefer all mine to be in the fridge.