You're leaving what??

A fascinating article in The Guardian this weekend looked at the things people leave to others in their wills.

For example, Diana, Princess of Wales, left her butler £50,000 and Alexander McQueen left the same sum to his dogs.

The article goes on to say that only a third of us have a will. According to the Ministry of Justice, of that third, a further third will have failed to update their will to reflect major life changes, such as remarriage. A survey by the organisation Dying Matters found that fewer than 50% of couples have any idea of what their partners’ end-of-life wishes actually are. It seems we prefer to remain blissfully ignorant.

It also tells the sad story of Peter, his daughter Katy and his second wife, Jean.  Peter, who hadn’t made a will, sadly died before Jean so under the rules of intestacy, his estate went to Jean.  When she died, Katy got nothing, everything went to Jean’s family.  This is surely not what Peter would have wanted - if he’d simply made a Will it would have been simpler.

Whilst chatting about wills and dying over the dinner table might feel like an awkward thing to do, it is very important that you do - especially if you’re remarried, separated or divorced.

If you’d like to talk to us about a will, simply email Lynn or telephone for an appointment on 029 2039 5888.