[Misc] Will Writing

[Professor Plum]

Remember, if you’re over 60 you can get a will drawn up free of charge via one of many charities. Spoke to a solicitor recently who mentioned this. Includes 2 or 3 amendments I believe. You don’t have to include the charity in your will but obviously some people do which I guess makes it worth doing. The solicitor bills the charity rather than the client.

 

[cjd]

We know you don't like the Labour Party, but maybe just leave that to the political bun fun fighting threads

Goodness me.

I don't like some of the things the Labour Party wants/does. I don't like a lot of the things the Conservative wants/does.

You really don't know me. Not at all.

 

[Professor Plum]

Goodness me.

I don't like some of the things the Labour Party wants/does. I don't like a lot of the things the Conservative wants/does.

You really don't know me. Not at all.

Let’s talk about wills. Thanks.

 

[cjd]

Let’s talk about wills. Thanks.

I was talking about wills originally...or can't you read ?

Thanks.

 

[Professor Plum]

I was talking about wills originally...or can't you read ?

Thanks.

Originally, yes. Then you spiralled off on one.

 

[dstanman]

Anyone got expeience of having a will done by a charity. Heard stories of the people who write them try to add a lot of extras on which sees the price escalate. Need to get a will done which may not be straight forward

 

[kevo]

Will you be remembering the people you stitched up in the NSC football quiz you ran during the pandemic? Some of us are due some form of compensation.

 

[North of Robertsbridge]

We had our wills prepared by Emma at DynastyWills.co.uk in Hastings. Very efficient and not expensive (nothing complicated I should add)

 

[Seagull]

Jul 7, 20037,017Brighton. NOToday at 4:31 PM

That's exactly what I need to do. And change an executor who is now deceased. I was thinking of converting the old will to Word and just carefully making the amendments, then getting it signed

That's exactly what I've done. I update it every now and then, every time circumstances change.

This is the way I do my Will. There are guides online that explain what to do or paper versions in stationers. You don’t need a solicitor but it does need to be properly witnessed.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

When our kids were born 30 odd years ago we both did a simple mirror will. Over the years it's needed a few tweaks here and there but remained basic. We last updated it Nov 21 with a local solicitor who billed the Air Ambulance charity £240 (free to us) and we included a non obligatory donation in our wills to Air Ambulance.

Now things are different, both daughters are married, one with kids, so we are now looking at bloodline wills and trusts. No details of costs yet, but the other thing in our plans is to prevent our estate possibly being consumed by care costs should one of us have the need.

My poor old mum had a severe stroke nearly 3 years ago and all her hard earned savings and premium bonds have been consumed by her £5k pcm care costs. I don't want that to happen to me (or Mrs SS).

 

[Professor Plum]

Anyone got expeience of having a will done by a charity. Heard stories of the people who write them try to add a lot of extras on which sees the price escalate. Need to get a will done which may not be straight forward

We haven’t yet finalised our will so I can’t speak from experience but I don’t see what the problem is here. The will-writer bills the charity directly for a set fee. Unless your will is very complex the fee for the charity is relatively small. Have I misunderstood your point?

 

[Professor Plum]

When our kids were born 30 odd years ago we both did a simple mirror will. Over the years it's needed a few tweaks here and there but remained basic. We last updated it Nov 21 with a local solicitor who billed the Air Ambulance charity £240 (free to us) and we included a non obligatory donation in our wills to Air Ambulance.

Now things are different, both daughters are married, one with kids, so we are now looking at bloodline wills and trusts. No details of costs yet, but the other thing in our plans is to prevent our estate possibly being consumed by care costs should one of us have the need.

My poor old mum had a severe stroke nearly 3 years ago and all her hard earned savings and premium bonds have been consumed by her £5k pcm care costs. I don't want that to happen to me (or Mrs SS).

I’m really sorry to hear about your mum.

How do you avoid paying for care costs? If it’s not an insensitive question, is there a reason why a person shouldn’t pay for care costs if they have the means to pay? Again, I apologise if I’ve not quite understood the situation.

Edited to add: perhaps you’re talking about creating a trust to ringfence your children’s inheritance? If so, understood.

 

[Albion my Albion]

I'm just leaving all my wordly goods and money to the Labour Party.

It's better to give, than have it stolen.

Here are some of my wordly goods: excellent, favourable, marvelous, pleasant, satisfactory and superb.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

If he gets us 20 goals, I'll add him.

I've heard he's deadly in the box...

(No advice on wills, I'm afraid, but you've reminded me - again - that Mrs Bobkin and I need to sort ours out!)

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Phoned the solicitor about doing a codicil for my mum's 22 year old will and was told you can't do one if the will is over 10 years old. I can't find any about that online. Anyone know?

 

[dazzer6666]

Anyone got expeience of having a will done by a charity. Heard stories of the people who write them try to add a lot of extras on which sees the price escalate. Need to get a will done which may not be straight forward

They aren't ‘done by a charity’……….the charity usually has an arrangement with a law firm who will do the will in the hope that the will writer will include a legacy to the charity in their will. Solicitors won’t add unnecessary extras but wills aren’t always as simple as you might think (see posts above re asset protection in the event of care homes etc etc) so they are likely to suggest ways of helping avoid certain circumstances arising. The ‘charity’ wills are usually free for a ‘basic’ will (or two mirror wills) but anything slightly more complex needed will result in fees. There’s plenty of will templates and services online that you can use to do your own, but the over-riding warning is be careful, because any mistakes could have serious consequences for your legatees. If a solicitor screws it up they are liable.

 

[Lush]

Just make a new one. Do it online through Farewill. It's simple and not expensive.

farewill.com

 

[Eeyore]

Just make a new one. Do it online through Farewill. It's simple and not expensive.

farewill.com

I've done it cheaper. I've just taken the old will, downloaded it into Word and tinkered with it. Adding new stuff, subtracting some stuff, re-dating it and getting it signed and witnessed this week. It reads the same but with all the updates. So zero cost.

The best part was adding instructions on the funeral. GOSBTS to be played on entry, Soul limbo (the cricket theme) to give folk a jig on the way out.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

I’m really sorry to hear about your mum.

How do you avoid paying for care costs? If it’s not an insensitive question, is there a reason why a person shouldn’t pay for care costs if they have the means to pay? Again, I apologise if I’ve not quite understood the situation.

Edited to add: perhaps you’re talking about creating a trust to ringfence your children’s inheritance? If so, understood.

No problem with the question.

Yes, ringfencing inheritance to remove from means tested care affordability.

When mum had finished all the physio and therapy in hospital (4 months post stroke) we were told that her needs could now only be realistically met in a care home, it was totally impractical to consider her being cared for at (family) home.

Care is both needs tested and means tested. For needs, a tick list is completed by a panel of medical experts and the family and if the patient is measured to be severe in x-number of measures, care is paid for by the local health authority.

Otherwise, care is means tested. If the patient has assets more than £23,250 they pay 100%. Below £14,250 the local health authority pay 100%. Between these 2 figures it's tapered and shared.

Dad now lives in the family home alone but the means test can't use the 50% mum owns, for now. If mum dies first her 50% will go to us 3 kids in trust and dad continues to live there.

What I'm unsure about is if dad were to die first (he's 97 now). His 50% goes to kids, in trust, fine. But the other 50% is mum's. I m expecting the house gets sold, muns 50% is then available for care home means testing. Anyone know if this is correct?