Anyone made a will ?

[timwilky]

when my neighbour died intestate age 38 a few years ago, it was a wake up call.

I needed to sort out a will, so me and the missus did it, works out a lot cheaper to do it jointly.

It also helps to discuss things with your nearest and dearest as to who will look after the kids, sort out who the executors are to be etc.

We had to force my bro in law to make a will. He reckoned he could DIY etc. We eventually got him to do it properly, but he had not thought it through. 5 months later he was dead. But he had not got round to paying the solicitor. So we had to in order to get our hands on it.

Whilst he owned a house, about 50 grand in the banks etc. It would have been a right mess had he not done it, as all the major beneficiaries would have got nothing had he gone intestate.

Originally Posted by timwilky

We had to force my bro in law to make a will. He reckoned he could DIY etc.

I'm jkust going to get one of those ones from WH Smith - I figure I don't have much - if anyone wants the Dakar they can prise it from my dead warm hands....hmmm, heated grips.

Originally Posted by K

... my leather bound & signed copy of Watchmen

*cough*

*ahem*

*cough*


;o)

I dont have a will. hope i dont die anytime soon!

i made a basic one when I left my husband. leaving everything (nothing) to my kids. Just in case I win the lottery and he decides to step up and claim. We are now divorced so he has no rights over my money.

I've had one for about 6 years now. Cost me about £90 and it was arranged through a solicitor. I haven't got that much to leave but if I pop my cloggs tomorrow then at least my surviving family will know what my wishes were.

It's might seem a morbid thing to do, especially at your age Stewie, but it can save a whole lot of hassle for the family and friends you leave behind.

I'm 23. I made my will the week I passed my bike test.

It's a good idea to sort it out through a solicitor - mine was ?80 for a simple will, leaving all my assets to my mother. It may be morbid, but it doesn't even bear thinking about if I were to pop it and everything I worked so hard for went to my dad's side of the family. What a waste.

I work in the wills business (administering estates of dead people), DON'T whatever you do try to do it yourself with a pack from WHSmith or some such - it is better in the long run to get one professionally done, else you leave your family with even more problems on top of their grief. Dying intestate (without a will) is just as bad.

Even though I work in the business I don't have a will....

I've been planning to do this for a while, I've a week off soon so I think I'll try and sort it then. Thanks for the reminder/push guys. With my pension pay out if I die currently I'm surprised my sister doesn't lace my food with arsenic or push me out in front of buses

Originally Posted by GregK2

I work in the wills business (administering estates of dead people), DON'T whatever you do try to do it yourself with a pack from WHSmith or some such - it is better in the long run to get one professionally done, else you leave your family with even more problems on top of their grief. Dying intestate (without a will) is just as bad.

A puzzle for everyone, it's funny but it highlights the dangers of a DIY will.

Can't remember the name of the case - it's a leading court authority on revocation of wills.

Irishman (he was Irish, I'm not being offensive) buys 3 WH Smith will forms as he thought he needed a separate will form for each gift. Left a sizeable estate. Problem was that each will form contained a standard revocation clause for earlier wills. All 3 wills were dated the same date, no evidence on the order of execution. Gifts were a small gift each to 2 sisters in Ireland and a huge sum in cash to his landlady in London. Irish sisters claimed that the wills were all invalid because they all had revocation clauses and there was no evidence on which will was executed last - and as he had no spouse or kids they would benefit under his intestacy.

Which gift (if any) prevailed? Or were they all void and did he die intestate? Who got the money? What do you think?


Edit - Tim in Belgium, this is a red herring. The payout will likely be discretionary and will almost certainly not form part of your estate. You will probably have completed an expression of wish form in respect of the payment, and the trustees of the scheme will pay out to whoever you have nominated. If you haven't nominated anyone, then get a form and do it quick.