Help me write my will!

[Clairetree1]

come on guys, I need some inspiration here.

Seeing the solicitor tomorrow to ensue house, pension, life insurance , all the big things go to DC ( hopefully not for another 40 years!)

But I have so many good friends I want to leave a little something to, what am I likely to have that someone else would enjoy?

I just have the normal things in life really, can't think of anything of particular interest or value.

One piece of valuable jewelry, to be sold and divided between God children, should leave them about a grand each...

what sort of item would you value being left by a friend? just as a memento - I don't have anything else valuable that I can think of.

Do people do that if they are not rich and famous? I've been executor on several wills and never seen that done.

How old are your DC? Because you will probably find you need to redo your will several times before they are grown up. We did ours when first DC was born, including guardianships. Revised it a few years later as guardian died. Then again due to IHT rules. Then again when youngest reached 18 when we wanted to simplify trusts.

youngest has just reached 18, hence the rewriting this week.

I have a lot of books, I have a couple of unusual ornaments. I have some stone age artifacts. I have some other archeological artifacts, such as some parts of armour from the fields of the battle of Bosworth. I have some jewelry, not worth much.

With regard to passing on small little mementos, do you really thing you will have that ornament/book/ costume jewellery still in 40 years time ? Will you still know that person ?
I can see your thinking 're the jewellery to be sold and split between godchildren, and obvs making provision for your dc.

what happens if I leave something to someone, and either the item can't be found, or the person. Is that a problem then? does anyone know?

Normally people leave their “chattels” I.e. their “stuff” jewellery bits and bobs etc to their executors to divide in accordance with a letter of wishes. The letter of wishes is something that you can work on over time, so when it pops into your head that your mate bob might like a particular painting you have you can just add it to a list which you keep with your papers and then when you die your executors will take that list into account when distributing your “stuff”. It’s not legally binding but it offers lots of flexibility for you to add to / change over the years without having to go back to your solicitor and keep changing your will.

If the item can’t be found it will be assumed you’ve disposed of it and the person it was destined for will get nothing. If the person can’t be found it will just fall into the residue of your estate - there will be a sweep up provision which broadly says “and everything else goes to x”.

Thankyou Pitapotomus, that is very helpful.

I would like to write a letter of wishes, I think, and just include a list of good friends and say I would like my DC to sort them out with a book, piece of jewelry or ornament each.

does that work?

Yes that works fine. Just make sure you’re kids are executors under the will and then they’ll be in charge of sorting that out anyway and can just follow whatever you write in the letter as guidance.

Obviously I meant “your” not “you’re” (7pm, knackered!)

Thank you for your help.

I'm all sorted and ready for tomorrow now.