The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: Fleecewife on March 28, 2020, 12:54:53 pm

Title: Check your WILL is up to date
Post by: Fleecewife on March 28, 2020, 12:54:53 pm



Not a happy topic, but please do check that your WILL is how you want it and is up to date.  If you don't have one, now is most definitely the time to do it.  Once you are ill a quick and easy task would become fraught, and would become a danger to others.  Without a Will, any beneficiaries will have to wait for ages for their setttlement and some may miss out altogether.


We had been intending to make a small change but had put it off.  Our solicitor was most helpful, everything was done over the phone and by post, and our friend who delivers our food was able to witness our signatures whilst maintaining a safe distance.  That puts our minds at ease.
Title: Re: Check your WILL is up to date
Post by: arobwk on March 28, 2020, 05:18:53 pm
Some sobering statistics from Scarlet.Dragon !!
Title: Re: Check your WILL is up to date
Post by: Backinwellies on April 05, 2020, 07:44:26 am
I tried saying this elsewhere …. it wasn't taken in the way intended!

A will is VERY important ….  without one family disputes can become total family rifts over night with the only people gaining from the will being the solicitors!

The other thing younger people, who don't feel they need a will 'yet',  forget is their children …  who you would prefer they were cared for in result of  death or even long hospital stay.... if both parents were to be in an accident for example …. especially if grandparents do not get on.   

My will gives my Shetland cattle to the Shetland society .. as I would hate them to sold commercially or slaughtered.

… and yes as for updating I guess I should check it as things do change (new grandson  :excited: )
Title: Re: Check your WILL is up to date
Post by: doganjo on April 05, 2020, 11:57:43 am
Problem isthat  it costs quite a bit every time you update your will, so ymaybe ou could write it all down and record it as a 'codicil' with your lawyer, and maybe best to make it wider rather than specific - for instance say that all your animals must be dealt with by a friend/relative with whom you have discussed what you want?
Title: Re: Check your WILL is up to date
Post by: chrismahon on April 07, 2020, 09:01:41 am
We started on updating ours 2 weeks ago. The system is simpler in France but of course needs to be in French and to a specific format. Very straightforward, we just leave everything to the other. The difficulties started to unfold when we dealt with the issue of 'simultaneous death', which in our case will be within 28 days of each other. A pretty rare event but one that has to be dealt with. The beneficiaries are the executors, neither of which speak French or have any experience of French systems. So now we need to create a raft of guidance notes to explain how to find things and deal with everything, together with a comprehensive list of contacts. When you start to consider all the other paperwork they will be faced with the job begins to expand exponentially. All we can do is make a start and keep adding to them as necessary. Having stuff scattered around the place doesn't help, neither does keeping old records which will just add to their confusion.


At least we have started. I have been an executor in England, which was difficult enough, but here it is a potential nightmare.
Title: Re: Check your WILL is up to date
Post by: Fleecewife on April 07, 2020, 11:48:34 am
That does sound a nightmare.  Having been an executor for my aunt's estate, I appreciate everything you say. She was in England too, so I used her solicitor for all the legal stuff. She thought she had everything well organised but it was shambolic, as in her last year all order had gone.
So we too are trying to get everything together and clarified, all in one place, so executors can lay their hands on it straight away.  All savings/bank account details, insurance, the password to our computer is important too for stuff not printed off.
We have no pets left which is a relief in a way (both our terriers died recently, and we've not had a cat for 6 years).  The livestock is more of a problem - too important to go to a sale, but our executors are not interested.  The possibility of both dying within a month of eachother is more common now with the Virus, so definitely need a plan B!