Why you should make a Will...

Okay, so I know what you're thinking...

Making a Will is something people only whisper about, its doom and gloom and causes premature death. It’s about what happens after you die and nobody wants to think about that. We all know that after-death experiences include embarrassed silences and soggy triangle sandwiches. Not fun at all. 

But actually, choosing presents for your family is fun! (Think Christmas without cutthroat shopping in overcrowded shops!) And giving to charity creates a warm fuzzy glow inside, don't leave it to chance it's time to act now.

So why should you make a Will?

1) Firstly, if you have a Will, you are able to make sure that your possessions go to the people who are most likely to appreciate them. Not everyone will receive your complete collection of Star Trek DVDs with the gratitude and respect they merit! This gives you complete control over your assets (property, money, possessions) and provides you with an opportunity to distribute them accordingly.

2) A common-law husband or wife is not recognised because there is no such relationship in law. You have a stronger legal relationship with your lodger than your partner. And separation is not treated in the same way as divorce. So the spouse you separated from years ago could inherit the house that you share with your partner. But the tenant may still have rights to live there. Make your Will for clarity!

3) Making a Will can ensure that your children are financially supported if one or both parents are to pass. 

4) If you haven’t made a Will, your estate will be handed out according to intestacy rules. The people that apply intestacy rules are robots and don’t deviate EVER. If you have a long-lost cousin somewhere in Timbuctoo, who inherits under the rules, that person must be found. If they died but had children, they will all have to be found. And so on. It can take years to find someone, you would never have included in your Will.

5) Years from now when you run off with a football player, or have a child, or get married, or divorced, or whatever... no Will means NO choice. If you’ve got a Will, you’re more likely to review it than if you’ve just taken a look at the intestacy rules and thought 'that'll do”.

So how do we create a Will for you?
It's a three-step process: 

Step One - Think about what you want to do for the people and the causes you care about. 
Step Two - Write it down in your own words as simply as possible.
Step Three - Give it to Picasso Legal for our input.

Step three is important. If you try writing the Will yourself you can easily avoid the pitfalls you know about... but there are likely to be a lot of pitfalls you don’t know about. Plus we might know ways of avoiding inheritance tax that you hadn’t considered. There are a multitude of rules about signatures and witnesses who will carry out your wishes. We will write your Will for you including all the hereinafter and heretofore. The best bit for you is having the fun and warm fuzzy glow of generosity. The best bit for your loved ones is that it is substantially easier and cheaper to sort it all out.

Of course, if you don't make a Will, it won’t be you that lives to regret it.

If you require any support or assistance in writing your Will, please get in touch today.