Share your thoughts on Wills with Which? Win £300 voucher or free Will! NOW CLOSED

[RebeccaEMumsnet]

Writing a Will is something that many of us put off, as it’s never a nice subject to talk about and the process can seem confusing, but Which? Wills is hoping to change all that with their online Will writing and Power of Attorney service.

They would love to hear your experience of how you got your Will sorted, or, if you haven’t got around to it yet, what’s putting you off? It would be great to hear your stories of how you decided how you would write your Will, and your tips to those who have yet to do it.

Here’s what Alex Neil, at Which? has to say: "It's important to make a will to ensure that your assets, including your home, savings and belongings, are distributed according to your wishes. It can be very difficult for loved ones to do this if you pass away without having made a will.”

Did the birth of your DCs prompt you to write your Will? Do you think that it’s important to have a Will as a parent, and if so, why?

Whatever your experience (or lack of experience!) of Will writing, we’d love to hear your story so that other Mumsnetters can take advice.

Everyone who posts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw, and one MNer will win either a £300 Love2Shop voucher or a free Which? Will Writing Service (T&Cs below).

Thanks,

MNHQ
Standard Insight T&Cs apply
Which? Wills prize T&Cs

[prettybird]

Really should review our (mirror) wills. They were written after we had ds but the guardian stipulations are now outdated (at 15, his needs are different now).

Can't remember now if dh and I had written earlier wills: I think we had as dh had been married before and in Scotland, previous wills remain valid even after divorce

[CordeliaScott]

I don't have a will but to be honest never really thought that I needed one. My estate wouldn't be worth more than £250,000 (the major element being the house) and therefore I am happy for it to pass on intestacy to DH. Equally, he doesn't have a will and his half would just pass to me.

I guess I view wills as more for people with larger estates or possibly where there are specific bequests that they may wish to make, neither of which applies to me.

[DilysPrice]

Are you married or cohabiting EDis? You don't have to have a lot of money for a will to be worthwhile - your current account and personal possessions need to go somewhere: if you die intestate would that be the right person?

Strictly speaking everyone should have a will, but everyone really really really needs to know how their assets would go under intestacy so they can decide whether that would be acceptable to them. If the intestacy rules would be more or less OK then a will is desirable but not desperately urgent. But if, say, you've been cohabiting with the love of your life for twenty years and you're NC with your abusive mother then a will is a matter of the highest priority.

[loosechange]

I need to write a will. The birth of the children made us think of it, and it's been on my to do list for ages.

I think it's important to have one; we have life insurance, critical illness cover etc, but the only reason I haven't got round to doing one is because it is one more thing to organize. When my finances were more stretched the cost would have been a deterrent.

This might be the prompt I need to make one.

I think as a country we should engage with Dying Matters week more. It would be a good time to remind people about the importance of things like wills.

[wonkylegs]

We wrote our will following the birth of our first child. It wasn't the financial aspect that prompted us, more concerns over guardianship. We used a firm of solicitors I knew professionally and although this wasn't the cheapest option it was a very through option which allowed us to write them (we have mirror wills) with the idea that it would be easy to change them in further children came along.
After dealing with a particularly complicated estate in my husbands family I have finally managed to convince my parents to sort out theirs. I kept saying I didn't care what was in them just that I really didn't want to have to deal with the chaos if they died without them as I had seen first hand how even reasonable siblings could become unreasonable following the death of a parent and as one of four siblings with divorced parents I could see chaos reigning.

[DinosaursRoar]

We still haven't got round to sorting ours. Firstly we were put off as we wanted another DC and wanted to be able to name them, then we had issues about who to put as guardians of the DCs if we both died together, we've finally agreed on PIL (they are the obvious choice but DH thought as his parents are a bit older, we should put someone from our 'generation', it's just there's no one we'd want who'd be able to keep the DCs in this town), so now we have to book an appointment with a solicitor and get it done. And that's the point we've been at for over a year!

[Alicekeach]

I'm really pleased to see people have used local solicitors to make their wills. I don't think there's any substitute for sitting face to face with someone legally qualified who can answer all your queries and who is regulated and insured. Wills can seem simple documents but they can also be unexpectedly complex. Wills drafted by people without a sound knowledge of our legal and tax system can through up all sorts of issues further down the road. I'd recommend looking for a solicitor who is s member of STEP as they will have done additional post-qualification training. The STEP website has a searchable database of accredited members so you can find someone local to you. (I'm a solicitor in case you hadn't guessed!)

[Alicekeach]

Aargh. I meant throw not through! (Typing on my phone.)

[prettybird]

Actually, this reminds me that dh and I really must sort out Power of Attorney for ourselves.

My mum and dad did this literally just before going off on a cycling holiday during which my mother had an accident and got a head injury which she semi-recovered from but then led to a dementia from which she eventually died. The fact that Power of attorney documents (to each other) had been registered made things so much easier for my dad.

[Gazelda]

Another one ashamed to admit we haven't got wills. I keep nagging DH to get Power of Attorney sorted for his DM, but wills are equally as important. There's always something else which seems more urgent, but I know that our wills are vital, to protect our estate for our DD, and to ensure that as much as possible runs smoothly after the death of either of us.
I would like to have one drawn up by a solicitor, but my annual leave is so precious (like everyone else) that I am loathe to use it for solicitors appointments when I am in such dire need for every hour to cover childcare over the school holidays.
No excuse, I know

[AveEldon]

As I understand it guardianship wishes are just that wishes - not enforceable - so they can be omitted from your will
I have separate papers regarding the guardianship which can be updated easily

[GiraffesAndButterflies]

DH occasionally reminds me that we should get on with this; I am probably too complacent about it. No siblings, no step parents, no divorces, very obvious guardians for the DC. It feels like it wouldn't really make a difference if we have a will or not; still, plan for the worst I suppose.

[Badders123]

We made a will when we had my eldest child
Then we made another when we had our youngest and appointed a guardian
It's not nice
It's hard to have these discussions but I know first hand how much easier it is to have a will when you have been bereaved
I was my dads executor and the fact he had a will made a very distressing time a bit easier
I would strongly urge everyone to do a will
There is lots of bad info out there - common law wife and such rubbish - the simple fact is if you want your estate to go to who you want then make a will!

[FinallyHere]

For everyone who would be happy for the process to work out under the rules that apply if there is no will, my urgent plea is for you to make a will. Even if it is very simple, just leave everything to husband ir wife or whoever. I have applied for probate for the estates if several family members. It is sooooo much easier if there is a will. Its the first question you are asked a each stage. If there is a will, off you go.

If not, there is soooo much messing round required. So, as a kindness to whoever comes after you, please make a will.

[FinallyHere]

For everyone who would be happy for the process to work out under the rules that apply if there is no will, my urgent plea is for you to make a will. Even if it is very simple, just leave everything to husband ir wife or whoever. I have applied for probate for the estates if several family members. It is sooooo much easier if there is a will. Its the first question you are asked a each stage. If there is a will, off you go.

If not, there is soooo much messing round required. So, as a kindness to whoever comes after you, please make a will.

[HeadTilt]

We haven't written wills. I know we should. I guess I just assume everything would go to DD and our second child (am pregnant). My family and DP would always do what is best for the kids but I guess having a will would make things less stressful.

I realise Ives said "guess" too much...

[RoosterCogburn]

We wrote ours and sorted out power of attorney for one another when my MIL was seriously ill and we had to organise a POA for her.
It made us realise that when someone is ill and you are under stress isn't the time to be sorting things out.

[starlight36]

We really need to make a will and keep talking about it but never seem to get around to it. My mother recently passed away and the clarity of her will has taken away some difficult decisions and potential conflict.

One sticking point we have is that we are undecided as to who we would nominate to take care of our children if both of us were to die together.

[Dolallytats]

Another one who doesn't have a will. It's something I think about occasionally but forget about as soon as life gets in the way.

[catgirl2]

Finally did it a year or two ago. After much procrastinating. Just seemed like a complicated thing to do but actually we found a good solicitor and it was very straightforward with some good guidance.

[Lulabellx1]

It's something I have always meant to get around to doing, but we just haven't! :(

My children are 8 and 5 now and my partner and I are not married so I feel it's even more important to get our affairs in order. Hmmm, really must pull our fingers out!

[BadlyWrittenPoem]

I think a will is very important once you have children. DH and I made DIY wills (using one of those kits you buy) as soon as we had a child. We also got life insurance to provide for the children should we die when they are still dependent on us.

[Quills]

Ours need redoing this year due to the imminent divorce of the people who we named guardians of our two DDs. Though we're not particularly asset rich, we do have plans in place to look after the girls should it come to it. I think it's important not to mentally tick it off once you've completed it - it's so important that you must review it regularly whenever anything changes in the family.

[marsybum]

I need a will but I worry about the cost, complicated situation, 2nd marriage, children from 1St marriage who have very little contact with thier father, add to that dh has no contact with his family and I have a feeling that if we die together/ I die first his family could get the money intended for the children...

[VilootShesCute]

Blimey we really really must sort out wills. I guess it's something that isn't mentioned every day so it doesn't seem a priority but it so is!