Making a will.

[GA3587]

Any advice on wills?

My affairs are very simple, only one benefactor in the event of my death.

I've seen a lot of DIY stuff on line for "fill in the blanks, give us £40, hey presto something that has been checked by someone that calls themself a legal professional"

Do I need to involve a solicitor?

Hopefully none of you have had the cause to need to use one in anger but any recommendations / adivce?

 

[Ivan67]

I have always used a solicitor for living wills and standard wills. You may want to have a look into a living will as well, just in case you have the chance to postpone your standard will. Bad days often come out of no where and whom ever your EPC is they could at least inform which ever hospital is going to be doing the patch work

Just my way of doing business.

 

[SJRS]

Hopefully none of you have had the cause to need to use one in anger...

If they have, at least we know there's a decent broadband connection in the afterlife.

Seriously, like Ivan67 suggests, just get to a solicitor and get one knocked up (a will, not a solicitor...that would cause even more headaches). You're going to die one day, may as well make it straightforward for the person responsible for mopping up your affairs.

 

[Ivan67]

I forgot to mention, most solicitor offices have flat rate fees on things such as this. I think I only paid around 200 or so from the solicitors office I use. They are very high priced in every other area and I have used them many times before and after and never lost a single case, so that said I am not sure if the quality of a solicitor matters of not because mine was so cheap.

These things are very important though for you and whom ever you leave behind. The living will is just as important if not more. I have found that when a physician knows you have a legal directive they take your case more serious instead of looking at you like some potential donor.

The low cost of these can mean the world. I have been unfortunate enough to experience the power of a living will. Had a bad day many years back, the hospital figured it would be a good idea to play games and make a choice over a three day time period whilst having my living will on file and having been given direct legal guidance as to what should happen. Three days later I was told I had been transported to another hospital and was treated for my injuries plus the injuries that occurred due to the game playing of the first hospital. Not that I remember much of the issue.

Had that first hospital followed directions I would have recovered in fully in six months, since they did not it took me 18 months to recover, I was medically retired from the Army and won a legal suit (settled out of court) of €14.7 million Euro. The senior doctors of the five departments who played games lost their licenses to practice.

Point is, that directive when followed per your pre-decided choice is hat you felt was in your best interest. Most folks do not plan to have a bad day, they just happen and only you should be able to make that choice when your life is on the line. It may feel like a wast of time and a waste of money, and I hope for you it is a waste of time and money. But if that day comes and you have nothing then you just complicated matters.

No matter how good you think you are, how fast, how educated.... It does not matter, bad days happen to the best of us. They call them hero's and salute them with the respect the deserve just before they had your heir a folded flag.

Best of luck, get them sorted and I hope you never need them.

 

[SJRS]

Ivan, wills are dirt cheap to have written up (compare with most other service solicitors provide) because they make their money after you've died. By the time you're done and dusted with probate you'll be looking at (or more precisely your family) an average solicitor's fee of five grand or more out of your estate.

 

[Ivan67]

Ivan, wills are dirt cheap to have written up (compare with most other service solicitors provide) because they make their money after you've died. By the time you're done and dusted with probate you'll be looking at (or more precisely your family) an average solicitor's fee of five grand or more out of your estate.

This is very true in most cases. For people who often retain legal services it is not ever an issue though. I have held my retainer for one office since 1994 and my other since 2004.

My grandfather when he past away, after all was said and done on the legal side it ran about 180K SF because of all the international foot prints. The more a person pushes the borders of their mother land with investments or something as simple as owning property the steeper that solicitor fee gets.

But I am sure you know it can get much worse than that if one has no legal documents at all. LOL I had an uncle like this, his wife had past away the year before (I think she died of "bitch syndrome" or "Gold Digger Whore syndrome") and then he had a helicopter crash on one of his ranches and his kids did not get a single thing, those kids fought in court for 12 years only to have wasted their money. Does not matter they are worthless offspring to begin with and I am sure that they would have pissed it all away like they did with their trust funds.

 

[fortion]

do use a solicitor...wills can get very complicated given the choice of words etc where a professional may come in handy....given the nature of your will even a cheap solicitor would do

 

[Carl Dowd]

Any advice on wills?

My affairs are very simple, only one benefactor in the event of my death.

I've seen a lot of DIY stuff on line for "fill in the blanks, give us £40, hey presto something that has been checked by someone that calls themself a legal professional"

Do I need to involve a solicitor?

Hopefully none of you have had the cause to need to use one in anger but any recommendations / adivce?

Just a little advice for you if I may..? Wills do not necessarily have to go to 'Probate'. If you only have one Beneficiary make he or she the Executor... If you do not make a will then it goes to Intestate, have a look here:

Citizens Advice - Who can inherit if there is no will

to see if your selected beneficiary falls into these categories...

All advice regarding a Solicitor is good advice, but do remember 'All' Wills can be challenged through the courts... I'll leave it at that if I may...

Good luck...

CD