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Original poster

Do you keep putting off writing a will?

24 replies

lemonice · 02/06/2005 20:36

...too many decisions to make, but i know it's stupid not to have one. Is anyone else int he same dilemma?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 02/06/2005 20:41

No. I wrote a will as soon as I got married, and updated it before DD was born. I've seen what can happen when a person dies w/o a will, and it ain't pleasant.

morningpaper · 02/06/2005 20:41

Put it off for ages as I didn't want to spend the money (70 quid) but now it's done and I'm SO relieved.

Otherwise it would have been grandparents fighting over who's going to bring up our children ... gah....

Nimme · 02/06/2005 20:42

Yes we did. Only when we were leaving DD with sister to go abroad did we do one - and then I still had to bully DH a bit.

Milliways · 02/06/2005 20:42

Do it now!!!!
My friends DH died & his ex wife got all the money as he hadn't updated will. She was left with baby + mtge & had to move.

Once you've done it you can forget about it until another child/major change happens.

expatinscotland · 02/06/2005 20:43

Thing I miss is that in the US, 'Living Wills' in which you prepare for how your life will be dealt with should you be left in a vegetative state, are valid and recognised by courts. And medical POA (power of attorney) are also common and recognised. That gave me even more comfort than a will.

Earlybird · 02/06/2005 20:43

Not me. As a single mum, I knew I had to do it prior to dd's birth in case things went dreadfully wrong. But it probably is time to review to see if changes should be made.

I think the important thing to remember is that an imperfect will is better than no will at all. You can always ammend/adjust. But, if you die with no will, you truly have no say in how things are settled.

Hulababy · 02/06/2005 20:59

Do it now! Read DH's article (in the banner at the top of this thread now and from the home page). It says why you should make a will. It is important to everyone, especially when you have children.

A solicitor will allow you time to think about your decisions. Adk for some quesions of what might be going in the will, and take them away to think about. And then get one done.

And please use a proper solicitor who specialises in wills. Don't use a will writing company, don't do you own and, if you have anything romotely different in you circumstancs, also try to avoid general practise solicitors. These solicitors have trained for many years to a high level, and have experience of dealing with these matters. The other types of wills generally just lead to solicitors maing more money than necessary out of an estate after you are dead. DH makes a lot mor emoney from dealing with badly prepared wills than in mking a good will int he first place.

Do it now!

ambrosia · 02/06/2005 21:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Caligula · 02/06/2005 21:25

No. As soon as I bought a property I made a will (even before children).

Orinoco · 02/06/2005 21:29

Message withdrawn

Hulababy · 02/06/2005 21:33

Orinico - please don't get a DIY will. Most are rubbish. As I said before - DH makes far more money out of dealing with badly prepared wills and DIY wills than he does from preparing a good will int he first place. And a badly prepared wil won't get your wishes carried out. A will, even by a specialist slicitor, is not that expensive in the scheme of things, and may well dsave you money in the long term, or at least save your estate money when you are no longer here, and save your executors a lot of time and stress.

Hulababy · 02/06/2005 21:35

DH's article on MN Has lots of useful info on it as to why a will is so important.

darlingbud · 02/06/2005 21:37

Haven't done a "proper" one but our financial adviser witnessed a statement we made saying what should happen if one or both of us were to go. that apparently will do until we can afford to do one with a solicitor.

pixiefish · 02/06/2005 21:38

One of the first things I did when I came home from hospital was contact a solicitor. Wrote a will when dd was about 3 weeks old

cherith · 02/06/2005 21:39

i have not got anything to leave. I worry as what would happen to the kids if myself and my husband died.

pixiefish · 02/06/2005 21:41

cherith- i haven't got much. But it was responsibiity for dd that worried me. I needed to know who would look after her if anything happened to me adn dh

cherith · 02/06/2005 21:43

I dont have anyone in mind

pixiefish · 02/06/2005 21:48

I was determined that my parents would have her so i asked them and have now made a will to that effect.

cherith · 02/06/2005 22:03

I dont want my perants to have my boys. There divorced my dads a first class idiot. My mum likes the booze a bit too much

Hulababy · 02/06/2005 22:03

What about friends, or your siblings maybe?

cherith · 02/06/2005 22:08

no theres no one for all different reasons

Original poster
lemonice · 02/06/2005 22:14

Cherith that's the reason I delayed when the children were small, but you can at least write the will without making that provision and consider it after. (we eventually picked my brother but thank god neither of us died)

Now i'm divorced, having made a will which has automatically been void because of divorce, I don't know what to put in it although I know I should.

OP posts:
pixiefish · 03/06/2005 13:11

cherith- because you have strong reasons rearding who you don't want i think it's more important that you do sort this out

m5lfh · 27/10/2014 12:14

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