Do you have a Will in place?

Notjustamum28 · 2023-06-27T11:12:52+00:00

Posting here for traffic really. Been with DP today to put a will in place, appoint executor's to deal with estate/trust etc We have DC under 18 and a few assets and after witnessing a family drama after a recent bereavement felt the need to put things in place! The solicitor did comment that we were 'quite young' to be doing this, both approaching 40. So just got me curious! I could name 2 maybe 3 people in our social circles who I know have done this/have wills etc but could name many more that don't!

bilbodog · 27/06/2023 12:15

Yes, had a will since my early 30s, updated a couple if times when i got married, had kids and moved house/retired.

also put powers of attorney in place a few years ago.

ShanghaiDiva · 27/06/2023 12:19

I have had a will since ds was born, but no power of attorney.

OhDoh · 27/06/2023 12:22

I'm 33 and Have a basic will in place that mirrors my DP. Did it on an online will site martin Lewis recommended. Will have a proper one done through a solicitor eventually.

ShadowPuppets · 27/06/2023 12:23

Yes, wills (including a will trust) and LPAs done last year. I was 33 and DH 36. We did have very basic wills before but since the kids, guardianship etc it needed proper working out. It’s both a long and short term plan as DPs on both sides are older, health issues, but possible sizeable inheritance from either side - but the only person who could take the DCs if something happened to us would be my DSis who doesn’t have any money. So needed sorting out. And LPAs aren’t just for potential dementia etc, DH or I could get hit by a bus tomorrow and wind up with capacity issues. It’s so important.

I was talking to a friend this weekend, she has a stake in a £1m+ house with her fiancé, he’s a very successful self-employed entrepreneur, no wills. Found it a bit mad!

Bluebells1970 · 27/06/2023 12:28

Yes, we did one in our 20s for guardianship of our DC. We then updated this after the youngest was 18, and our kids know what solicitor to contact etc.

Having had my Dad pass away recently from a very sudden and brutal illness, it's just cemented the idea that you really need to be crystal clear about your wishes post death.

Deadringer · 27/06/2023 12:29

No but its on my to do list for this summer

PlatBilledDuckypuss · 27/06/2023 12:32

Yes. Only fools don't do this. And if you have a partner and kids you are doubly foolish if you don't.

The one thing that a marriage does is it established a water-tight legal relationship with one piece of paper.

Original poster

Notjustamum28 · 27/06/2023 12:33

The POA/LPOA bit hasnt actually come up yet. Maybe I'l mention this at the next appt. I know its not nice to think about, but for us it was we just wanted to know that the kids would be sorted and the finances safe.
Solicitor asked us what we wanted to do if us and DC were to die, and that wasn't something we had thought about either!

OP posts:

Totallyconfusedperson · 27/06/2023 12:35

I was in my early 30s and DH in his late 30s when we had our wills one. Primary driver is to make clear who we want as the guardians for the kids should we both die

PurplePear7 · 27/06/2023 12:37

Definitely important to have a Will if you’re not married and have kids!

My parents re-did theirs recently and I keep meaning to get mine done - mostly for what happens if theirs a “common calamity” ie. the four of us are wiped out at the same time!

If you haven’t done so already, it’s also important to make sure the beneficiaries of your pension pots are in place/up to date.

MinnieMountain · 27/06/2023 12:40

We did mirror wills once we had DS. Before that we didn’t bother as our main asset was our house which we owned as joint tenants.
Probably should get LPAs done.

endofthelinefinally · 27/06/2023 12:42

Just look at the bereavement board on here OP. You will see that partners and children can die suddenly at any age.
Everyone should make a will especially if they have dependants.
Bear in mind that if you split and if one of you marries someone else, their will is immediately invalidated. This happens more often than people realise and the children of previous relationships often find that they are cut out of any inheritance. This doesn't necessarily mean money or property, it can just be things of great sentimental value, which can be very distressing.
Have you got arrangements in place to pay off your mortgage, for example, if one of you dies?

CoinsinaJar · 27/06/2023 12:45

Yes, we have wills and PoAs in place.

I think OP is very sensible to do this even though they are so young. We have friends (couple - not married, but together for several years and had a young child) who made wills in their 30's, and shortly afterwards he guy was killed in an awful accident. So, we never know what's round the next corner.

mynewusername2023 · 27/06/2023 12:46

We did ours a couple of years ago. Both in our 40s and as we had no children, it felt important to get our wishes down.

Laura23FE · 27/06/2023 12:48

yep did our Wills when we bought our home and about to redo them as we are now married and expecting our first child in October, we bought our home when I was 28 :)

CMOTDibbler · 27/06/2023 12:48

We've had wills since we were married in our 20's, updated in our 30's after ds was born, and will do them again next year once he is 18. We'll do LPA then as well

SnapPop · 27/06/2023 12:50

Yes we have wills, I'm surprised the solicitor implied you're unusual!

Loverofoxbowlakes · 27/06/2023 12:51

I did mine at 39, when the dc were 12 and 10. Will, trusts and vwho gets the kids'

I also re-visited my life insurance (do it fairly regularly), another thing that I just can't get my head round people NOT having.

Wellgoodforyou · 27/06/2023 12:54

No and keep forgetting.. am getting old so must get my shit together thank you for reminder!

IfYouDontAsk · 27/06/2023 12:55

Yes, had it done when eldest DC was a baby and the driving factor was documenting who would be guardian of DC in case DH and I both die.

I’m surprised at your solicitor’s surprise!

Original poster

Notjustamum28 · 27/06/2023 12:56

endofthelinefinally · 27/06/2023 12:42

Just look at the bereavement board on here OP. You will see that partners and children can die suddenly at any age.
Everyone should make a will especially if they have dependants.
Bear in mind that if you split and if one of you marries someone else, their will is immediately invalidated. This happens more often than people realise and the children of previous relationships often find that they are cut out of any inheritance. This doesn't necessarily mean money or property, it can just be things of great sentimental value, which can be very distressing.
Have you got arrangements in place to pay off your mortgage, for example, if one of you dies?

Yes we have L-ins and CI inplace, and decent private pensions that would go in trust to DC should anything happen to us. In the first instance everything would go to the surviving spouse. we are probably really more sensible than we think 😄

OP posts:

theemmadilemma · 27/06/2023 12:56

DH and I did before marriage. They were voided by marriage as we didn't write them in anticipation of it to cover it. Since we have no children for the moment it's not hugely problematic. But we do need something for when we both go so we can make sure what's left goes where we want.

AuntieMarys · 27/06/2023 12:58

Yes since my mid 30s. I've made 4 new ones since then.

endofthelinefinally · 27/06/2023 12:59

Life insurance is so important. Ours is written into Trust for the DC. My pension has an arrangement where I can leave a portion of the pot to my Dc and all the paperwork is completed and signed with copies in the same folder as the wills. There is peace of mind once these things are organised. Just get them done, put them in a safe place, review every five years.
Think about what would be helpful for your loved ones to know/be able to find if the worst were to happen and put it in place.