How many of you have a favourite recipe? Has it been passed down through the family to you- and your children?
A recipe is a set of instructions for how to do something and your Will is very similar. It is your way of instructing those you leave behind on how to deal with your estate when you are no longer here.
You may think that you have discussed what you would like to happen with your loved ones, but if you don’t have a Will, there is no guarantee that this will happen. People who are grieving can fall out very easily and people who fall out can end up in Court.
Statistics show that in 2013, the High court heard 76% more cases relating to inheritance than the year before and this is expected to rise again when figures are released for 2014.
The reason given is that people do not have up to date Wills which leads to family arguments and ends in a Court hearing- all because you didn’t think you had time to sit down and write a Will.
It really isn’t difficult once you have decided who you would like to look after your Estate for you- your Executors- who you would like to receive anything special to remember you by and who you would like to receive the rest of your things- your Residuary Estate.
If you don’t have a Will and you have family, despite what you think, there is no guarantee that they would inherit from you, the chances are that they would have to make a claim against your Estate. That means, that anybody within your family could make a claim- even long lost relatives, maybe those you no longer speak to. If their claim is successful, that means that those that you do want to provide for will have less available to them- all because you didn’t want to think about writing a Will.
If you are not married and have children, do you have parental responsibility? If not, the father of your children, may not automatically be the person who looks after them if your die before him and they are under the age of 18- all because you weren’t thinking about your Will while you were busy looking after your young children.
Preparing a Will takes some thinking about, but once it is done, it is done. It can always be changed when anything significant happens in your life, but it needn’t be. Once you have done it, it is ready for when that time comes and your loved once need you to tell them, one last time, how you want things to be done.
Your favourite meal may be very straightforward and easy, or it may not be. Either way, would you expect somebody else to be able to prepare it without a recipe?
Come and see me- I can help to make sure that your recipe is followed to perfection.
Telephone: 01273 474159