Things to do before I die Part 1.
Around half the folk in England and Wales have a Last Will. Less than one in ten has a decent legal plan in place. They and their families pay dearly for the omission, so we hope you will read this article to the end and act on it.”People don’t want to think about dying, it’s uncomfortable. So they do practically nothing about estate planning and leave their family to pay the price.” Blunt – but probably true of you and your parents and your children. No one else but you has responsibility for you once you are 18 – not your wife, husband, parents. No one except the Courts has such authority, unless you have sound legal planning in place.But making arrangements for your final days and beyond isn’t just about helping your family through difficult times. It also lets you decide who will make decisions about your care, your money and finally send you off with a celebration of your life just way you would like it. Even if that means that your last ride is in a tank! Maybe you would like to be made into a diamond or a firework, or even have some of you sent into space (not that those are cheap alternatives!)
1. Before I die: Write a proper, considered Last Will and Testament.
Die without a valid Last Will and you let the Government decide how to split up your estate and the Courts and Social Services decide how your children should be brought up. It’s called dying intestate, an act (or failure to act) that can destroy your family. Without a valid Last Will, the first part of your estate goes to your legal spouse, then to your children, followed by other relatives. If you haven’t quite finished getting organised (perhaps by forgetting the last step as many do) it’s an unexpected bonus for your not quite ex-spouse. If you have no family, your estate goes to the government or Prince Charles, depending on where you live.Please don’t let this happen. You can make out a Last Will for not a lot of money here.Most people forget that their legal planning need to be reviewed regularly. The Law changes, Taxation changes and so do the circumstances of those you want to look after. It really is not an area to forget about if you care for yourself or anyone else. This service is an inexpensive way of keeping up to date.You might want to seize the opportunity to make a nice gesture to anyone you have fallen out with during your lifetime – you’ll be dead when they find out you have remembered them in your Will!