How many people have made a will?

[Ohmygodthepain]

Loosely linked to a post where the OP has been told that she is not going to be included in her will, got me thinking about how many people like that go to the effort of making a will, never mind cutting someone out of one.

How many folk do have a will? I made mine when I turned 40, got divorced and travelled for work abroad without the kids - I'm a terrible flier and was so worried about leaving my kids and family intestate.

Fast forward a decade and I've just been dealing with my mum's estate. VERY simple estate - one house, one bank account, bare minimum bills (no mobile, no broadband, gas/electric/water/house insurance/tell us once for council tax and state pension, one private pension etc), only me and my sibling to inherit. She was diagnosed with a life limiting condition a couple of years ago but ABSOLUTELY REFUSED to make a will, or get POA. Fortunately (or rather unfortunately, as things went unbelievably quickly downhill over the course of a weekend) we weren't in a position to need POA nor was it hard to deal with her things once she died, but I imagine it must be so hard for families dealing with very complicated estates, probate, families etc.

So, do you have a will? If you've dealt with a deceased estate would it have been easier with/without a will? Have you had family fall-outs because of a will or lack of one?

I need to get mine updated, my mum was one of my executors.

I need to update my will. Old one was made 20 years ago and I've remarried so invalid now. I know it will be complicated and may cause upset so been putting it off but it does need doing.

Have POA but not wills (yet). Married 34 years, both 63

Alongside the will, people should keep a list of all their assets, i.e. bank account details, investments like pensions, life insurance, shares, etc., and even a brief list of any possessions such as artworks, collectibles etc with approx values, as such lists are a massive help to the family/executors when sorting out the estate.

So much time is taken/wasted when they have to search through years' worth of paperwork, boxes, drawers, files, etc., trying to check they've picked up all the long lost share certificates, long forgotten life insurance policy, and spending hours on Ebay trying to find out if the old-looking vase is worth a fiver or a thousand! It's absolutely draining and soul destroying at a time when you just want to mourn the loss of a loved one.

My husband upgraded with me 🤭 he's also autistic and fiercely independent. He begrudgingly married me after decades of bachelor life. Not a chance he'd remarry. He's also old bless him (older than me ) I just know he'd not remarry.

Don't need to. DH the breadwinner and we're married with kids.

Made one when we had first child. Needs to be updated though. I have a draft, not around to finalising and signing it.

Op you do seem a little invested in other people making wills ?

This isn't an advertisement for solicitors is it ?

Will made when DD2 was a baby, felt it was sensible to make one and ensure that money was in trust until they were 25 and not given tens of thousands at 18. Sensible siblings of DH and named as trustees/ guardians with their agreement.
Since then two members of my extended family died intestate, one in quite complex circumstances. Family have not fallen out over it but it caused much sadness and I don't think the people who died would have been happy with how the estate was distributed, though that was done strictly according to the law. It just all felt an avoidable sadness on top of the normal grief. I'd urge everyone to make a will.

As he gets into old age, his personality/needs may change. Sometimes there are "gold diggers" who muscle in on someone's life, especially as they get older so start getting confused, needing care/companionship, etc., and before you know it, they're married.

That happened to one of my clients who had aspergers. He became a client when he was around 50, some 20 years ago, and his long term wife died a year or two later. He was clearly a very shy, awkward, independent man, and for a few years, so sign of anything untoward - he came in for meetings a couple of times per year, always the same. Then suddenly we got an email from him advising he'd just got married! Next time he came in for a meeting, she came in with him. Wow! Completely opposite - she was mutton dressed as lamb, loud, obnoxious, every other word a swear word - you'd never put them together and she completely dominated him, he barely managed to say a word during the meeting. He died recently, and she's getting his entire estate (not particularly a large estate), but his previous will, leaving bequests to his children and grandchildren) became void upon his second marriage!

DH and I did our Wills once we became parents, just to be able to put down who would look after DC if we weren’t around. We did new Wills once DC were adults and no longer needed the guardianship part. We’ve done probate for our parents and think it was definitely easier having recent Wills, especially banks where there was smaller amounts of savings, they didn’t need to wait for Probate before them handing over the deceased money.

Impossible to know how many. But many for sure.

We did ours a few years ago, and POAs at the same time.

It covers all eventualities, if DH and I and both dc die at the same time (unlikely, I know!) it clearly states who is not to inherit any of my estate. That was important to me.

Those saying that their dc get on well, you’re speaking about now. None of us have crystal balls to know if that might remain the case.

I tell all my clients to make wills and review them at least every 10 years or other "life" events, and no, I don't make money from it as I don't write wills. I say it because I've seen the aftermath from many clients over the 40 years I've been an accountant, with all kinds of unforeseen consequences, including family fall outs, people almost having nervous breakdowns trying to sort out estates, legal disputes over disputed wills, etc.

I've also started telling clients to set up POAs too as I've also seen too many people caught out without them, not just clients, but also family and neighbours, where health has declined very quickly without time to set up POAs meaning, again, lots of stress for those looking after them who can't access funds for care etc without going down the Court of Protection route which takes many months and costs more! Again, I make no money out of this as I don't get involved with setting up POAs for my clients.

I think we did our wills first when we bought our house together, and have updated once or twice since then. I know my Dad (and step mum) don't have wills because step mum thinks it brings bad luck. Dad is older so will likely go first, so I don't expect a penny of inheritance (step mum also has adult kids). I feel weird about it to be honest. It's their money, but it just seems sort of carelessly mean. We have a good relationship, I don't think they would deliberately engineer it so that my brother and I got nothing.... but just dont seem bothered that is now the most likely outcome. I guess they think my step siblings will do the "honourable" thing, but we have no relationship with them (parents got together when we were all adults), so I doubt it. I guess though they'll also be the ones dealing with the admin when the time comes, which at that point will be nothing to do with me or DB!

We don't have some massive estate, I just want things to be as easy as possible for the loved ones we leave behind.

@arcticpandas why don't you need one?

I’ve got a will and POA. All the beneficiaries know what’s in it, because if there were going to be any disagreements I’d rather have ironed them out while we’re alive than have them fighting over it once we’re dead.

Yes I've had 3 different wills over the years and need to update again as my asset position has changed. My will leaves most things to my DH as they will then be IHT exempt but sets up trusts for property and business assets to be left to my DD after DH's death ( her step dad) if I should die first.

I’ve had one since I was about 30 I think. It’s really important if you have DC so that you can make provision for their care if anything happened to you.
I’ve updated mine a couple of times since due to change of circumstances e.g. I am now married to my kids step dad so needed to make sure that if anything happened to me my DCs inheritance is protected while still making things fair for my DH.
I think it can save a lot of stress for your loved ones & it’s actually quite selfish to not make a will.

I am single no kids so my current will is from freewills.co.uk. If you have kids and are married or have a partner you need a will! It's coming up to Free Wills month where solicitors will make a basic one for a fee to charity usually £100-£200 I think.

You're absolutely spot on about POA. My grandmother got early onset dementia (my grandad and his daughters: my mum and aunt) were in complete denial. Always assumed she'd die first (she became frail and dependent in her late 60s) he was not. He had a freak accident and died unexpectedly.

The wake up call for the daughters was a horror. Finally getting nan diagnosed and the hell they had to go through to get POA both emotionally, mentally and financially...

They both subsequently put in their own POAs for us very shortly after that.

I’m in the process of redoing my will now: had one when I was married and have since got divorced and bought a house with my partner. It was pretty straightforward first time around. Its pretty complicated today as it involves protecting my child financially without leaving my partner up shit creek and involves complicated life insurance policies etc.

But important and look forward to it being done.

Ha, not at all! Just got me thinking that's all. The thought of another op being told she was going to be written out of her parents' wills, and then on if they've actually got wills, otherwise op can't be left out of intestacy applies.

My mum's situation was very very basic, no assets apart from knackered old clio and her house. No treasures, no separated-but-not -divorced husband, barely any payments in or out of her single bank account, she didn't believe in the internet or mobile phones.

I was beyond frustrated with her absolute refusal to do POA despite her grim diagnosis - even with her simple household finances we'd have been SCREWED if she'd been incapacitated. As it was her decline was unbelievably rapid due to sepsis - well on Friday morning, died Sunday morning. The usual challenges of dealing with her estate on top of such a shocking death could have been so much worse.

My dad and in-laws have really complicated affairs - overseas properties, rentals, shares, umpteen pensions, insurances etc etc, all likely over the IHT threshold. But they have made ECPLICIT wills, we all know about their financial affairs and keep a regularly updated summary.

My will needs updating as my dc are older and I don't need a trust for them (though I suspect DS will blow everything). Isn't it like the final thing you can do for your bereaved relatives?

Don't get me started on decluttering... Or Death cleaning as the scandanavians call it

Death cleaning 🧹 🧼 🤭🤣 I love it. It's probably really good idea to be fair

My DH and children will inherit automatically.

Your dh will inherit automatically - do you not want any provision specifically for your dc?

What if you dh remarries and then dies - his new wife will inherit all his and all yours - with no provision in law for your dc?