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.
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.
