Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Have you written a will?

120 replies

FangsForTheMemory · 11/04/2021 17:10

I mean a properly put together, signed and witnessed will, copy lodged with your solicitor? I'm asking because when I bought my first home, my mortgage broker gave me a very stern lecture about writing one, and I did it. However the number of people who don't write a will amazes me.

YABU = no I haven't written a will
YANBU = yes I have written a will

OP posts:
Puffinhead · 11/04/2021 19:23

@fussychica

For those worried about the cost keep your eyes open for charities working with solicitors to offer "free" wills from time to time. There is usually an expectation of a donation at the time or when your will is activated but the amount is entirely at your discretion.
This is exactly what my husband and I did. I think we donated £100.
Puffinhead · 11/04/2021 19:24

It only happens at certain times of the year though - will aid I think it’s called.

UnsolicitedDickPic · 11/04/2021 19:29

I've made a Will, I did it after DD was born. Also set up life insurance, and put provision in place for DD in the event of my death. I did the Will for free with a mate who's a shit-hot probate solicitor. I don't own my own home yet, so that simplified things.

My DSis has a home and a few kids, and thinks making a Will would "jinx" her. I despair.

LadyIsabellaWrotham · 11/04/2021 19:32

@Mummadeze

No. Genuine question. Do I need one if I have no savings and don’t own a property? I have a DD and a partner who I live with. I haven’t done one because I have no assets but is there any other reason to do so?
Your personal effects will go to your DD, which is presumably what you want, but the admin of your bank account (unless they’re all joint accounts) will be much easier if you have a will. Administratively, who pays the bills? what would happen if you died at the beginning of the month without having paid your share? What happens if your DM decides she doesn’t like your partner and want to administer your estate? It might be fine but it has the potential to be messy.
SimonJT · 11/04/2021 19:38

Yes, I sorted my will as soon as I became a parent.

Jijithecat · 11/04/2021 19:45

Yes. My DF died without leaving a will. I did employ a probate solicitor but it was still very stressful and there were arguments with my sibling because of the procedures.
I wouldn't wish that experience on anyone.

fairydustandpixies · 11/04/2021 19:47

YANBU

SGChome20 · 11/04/2021 20:03

I haven’t but I really need to get my finger out and get it done. Especially now I have a baby. Thanks for the reminder op! I’m going to put this on my list of jobs for this week to find a solicitor to draw one up!

Sparklingbrook · 11/04/2021 20:17

We made ours as soon as we bought our first house. I have DC of 18 and 21 and wonder if I should get them to start thinking about doing one.

YorkshireIndie · 11/04/2021 21:06

Yes. I got hit by a car between the initial appointment and signing the will 🙈 The solicitor couldn't believe it

APurpleSquirrel · 11/04/2021 21:13

@Mummadeze

No. Genuine question. Do I need one if I have no savings and don’t own a property? I have a DD and a partner who I live with. I haven’t done one because I have no assets but is there any other reason to do so?
What would happen to your DC if both you & your partner died? Morbid but setting up a will can set out who would be the legal guardian of your child/ren, rather than being a wrangle between family members.
ConnieCaterpillar70 · 11/04/2021 21:13

Yes, we updated ours when FIL died. He left slightly more money to DH as he was the executor but SIL was a complete and utter PITA about it, and in the end, DH split the difference with her....... he said it was that or kill her and he didn't fancy the thought of prison food.

So we decided that we would split our estate in 3 for our DC. Regardless of who has children/how many etc. That way, our DC decide what our grandchildren get and they are all executors so there is absolutely no room for anyone being left out.

Original poster
FangsForTheMemory · 02/06/2021 12:34

Am interested to know how many of the people who said they were going to see about getting a Will done, have actually got around to it?

OP posts:
HoikingUpMyBigGirlPantss · 02/06/2021 12:49

I have one but it mentions 2 beneficeries/executors who have already sadly died and so definitely needs updating!

DeathByWalkies · 02/06/2021 14:37

No - I have no real assets to leave anyway. If I ever buy a home / have kids, I'll make one then.

MatildaTheCat · 02/06/2021 14:57

Yes but haven’t got POA sorted yet but should. People always seem to think they are just for the very elderly but of course you can lose capacity at any age. Reading about Kate Garraway’s struggles really made me think about this. She wasn’t able to access funds for months.

LibrariesGiveUsPower45321 · 02/06/2021 15:08

No but I need to.

Bamski · 02/06/2021 15:36

Yes I do but I am a Will Writer so practice what I preach! I charge £150 for a single Will or £200 for mirror Wills.

Having a valid Will in place with a guardianship clause is part of being a parent, the same goes for life cover.

Rayna37 · 02/06/2021 19:52

Just recently finalised. Had one when DH and I bought a house together and were then unmarried and DH has a daughter. Didn't rush to update after marriage despite understanding that invalidates any previous wills and missed the appointment we made to do this in 2017 as I'd gone into labour. 3 years of faffing, lots of complexities, finally sorted. PoA next on the list!
I wince a bit at all the mirror wills, so many things to go wrong if there are children you wish to benefit: losing it all to care home fees instead of ringfencing half, remarriages, new children if the first partner died while the other is still young, and so on!

BarkingUpTheWrongRoseBush · 02/06/2021 20:04

Redid one when has been married about 4 years. 2nd marriage for DH so complicated with his kids and my being able to stay in our home if anything happened to him but his kids not losing out.

I wanted leave money for my nieces and nephews rather than it going to DH.

Complicated. Things have changed again with another house move so need to do it again....

mybrainhertz · 02/06/2021 20:16

I can't make one because I'm married and dh is too lazy to sort out his side of things. I phoned around, but everyone told me that, because our house is jointly owned, we'd need to make joint wills. Dh still hasn't done anything about it and I don't know what to do now.

JudgeJ · 02/06/2021 20:47

Yes, we had mirror wills drawn up but a word of warning! When you get the copy which will be fairly long make sure you read it, in the first draft I was leaving my half to myself!

MojoJojo71 · 02/06/2021 21:06

Yes, it had been on my to do list for years but I finally did it via my union last year when we went into lockdown and it seemed more urgent (single parent, front line NHS)

jasjas1973 · 02/06/2021 21:12

Partner died young, no will, young child, its a nightmare, on top of grief.

Get as Will, even if its a WHSmith one, so long as its witnessed correctly etc, its valid.

heymammy · 02/06/2021 21:14

Ex dp and I wrote wills with our solicitor when our first child was born in 2003 but the solicitor has lost it!

That dc is nearly 18 so I'm thinking of writing another will with eldest dc as Guardian of their siblings (with their permission of course)

How much would a pretty straightforward will cost? Solicitor did it for a "special price" of £500 back in 2003