In the world we live in today you never know what is ahead of you. Whether terrorism, natural disasters, fatal accidents, unexpected health issues or simply passing with age , life is full of unexpected events that you hear about , read about or see almost every day. Life events can impact upon us regardless of whether we are prepared or not. So there comes a time in all our lives when we need to reflect on what would happen if we, a family member or loved one died. Being prepared is important and this means all of us should consider having a Will. We are all faced with an unexpected events, and without a Will your family and loved ones will never know what your wishes were?

Don’t Leave it to chance, ensure you have peace of mind and that your wishes will be followed. Make a Will and ensure the people you care for avoid any further undue upset.


WHY WILLS ARE IMPORTANT.

• They ensure that your wishes are fulfilled both for yourself (in the case of Power of Attorney and for an Advanced Health Directive) and for your loved ones –  when you pass away.

What is a Will?

A Will is a legal document which ensures your assets are distributed according to your wishes after you die. Your Will can cover all your assets such as your home, land, car, shares, bank accounts, insurance policies and personal items such as jewellery and family photo’s. Essentially, you can give to anyone anything that you own in your Will.

It is essential to have a Will if you pass away as without one, what is called the law of intestacy will take effect. This law means that your loved ones will not be allocated your property or assets in the way you had perhaps intended. Preparation of a Will is quite a simple process. However, if it is not prepared correctly it may not be valid and  therefore will not be recognised. This is why you should have a Solicitor prepare your Will. A Will can be changed at any time that you wish and making of a new Will makes any previous Will you may have null and void.

When you have prepared your Will you need to ensure you keep it in a safe place and advise the Executor to your Estate where this is. As a Pre-Paid Legal member safe custody of your Will is included  automatically as part of any personal membership plan.  You are of course entitled to copy of your Will.
Finally, on the subject of Wills, there are a number of important issues concerning Wills that need to be outlined.

• The Executor –  this is the person who will administer your estate.
  In simple terms – who will distribute your property in accordance with your request?
  
  

• Beneficiaries – these are those people who will receive the property in your Will.
  You can make special bequests in your Will such as particular items of jewellery of family heirlooms. 
  You can also leave some or all of your property to charity if you wish.
  You can intentionally delete a relative or a friend from your Will and give the reason why you do not wish for them to
  receive any of your property.
  

Finally, you can use your Will to detail how you wish to be buried and how you wish your funeral arrangements to be conducted.

Avoid the upset of family argument.

Ensure your Will is prepared property by a Pre-Paid Legal Estate Planning and Administration professional and have peace of mind your wishes will be followed.  Check to see if you need a Will here.

A simple Will with power of Attorney is free with any Pre-Paid Legal personal plan. For more information about Wills click here

If you have not done so Contact Us today.