Another Will Question - DIY?

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Chris152

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Sorry, but the two that are running at the moment don't answer my question and I don't want to divert them.

In my mind I'm still in my mid-twenties, but reality is I'm about the same age as Boris. And I have no will. So I'm going to try to do a DIY one like those linked to at the bottom of this page:
https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/famil ... eap-wills/

I think my case is pretty simple, and having read Steve's thread think I can get neighbours to witness it.
My question is - are DIY wills reliable in a simple case? Anything to watch for?

Thank you, C
 
Chris - the page you have referenced is in my opinion good in terms of the information it contains. I would also be surprised if Martin Lewis allowed anyone dodgy to be associated with his web pages - he guards his reputation and has taken legal action previously to protect the integrity of his brand.

It’s impossible for anyone on here to say whether a DIY will is right for you. It depends on the complexity of your wealth and complexity of how you want your estate to be distributed at the appropriate time.

The advantage of using a good professional adviser (who need not be a solicitor) is that they will go through a series of questions which may make you think of things you hadn’t considered. To illustrate the point I saw a case a couple of years ago where an errant child was not a beneficiary as the mother had gifted him money to get out of trouble prior to her death and she felt he had already had his share. He contested the will on the basis he had been overlooked. It was a spurious claim that took months to refute and the view of counsel was that a will drafted by a solicitor would have foreseen the possibility of such a claim and precluded it by leaving him a token sum of £50.

If you are certain you know what you want and it genuinely is straightforward it’s right. If there are things you may not have thought of or your estate is complicated in the eyes of the law it may not be.

Cheers
 
I agree with Blackswanwood. If, as he says, your estate is complicated then the services of a will Writer are invaluable and they can talk you through Power of Attorney, which is another consideration worth bearing in mind.

John
 
Thanks fellas. The way I see it at the moment, I don't want to go into solicitors' offices and all that - if I can do something form home, much better. And anything I do right now is better than the nothing I currently have in place.
 
Chris, most solicitors will have a chat with you before you decide to buy their services and they decide to take you on! It may be worth a couple of phone calls even if you subsequently conclude you are happy to do your own thing.
Best Regards
 
Thanks Blackswanwood - it may come to that! I downloaded one and spent a while trying to figure out the basic terms, and I'm now not so sure it's an easy case if I follow what seems to be convention - but at least now I know what an executor and trustee are.

Out of interest, if I write my wishes in plain English ('On my death, I want to leave all my possessions to x'), identifying the executor, sign and get it witnessed by two independent people, is that legally sufficient?
 
DIY is when I am prepared to have a go but am prepared to make a mess of the job. At the end of the day, DIY, I decide how satisfied I am with the result.

My will? A solicitor did mine, it wan't complicated for the solicitor, it's what he did for a job. I sleep at night.

As Blackswanwood suggested, go see a solicitor for a free finding out meeting and then see how you feel.
 
Chris152":3ehl9uzq said:
Thanks Blackswanwood - it may come to that! I downloaded one and spent a while trying to figure out the basic terms, and I'm now not so sure it's an easy case if I follow what seems to be convention - but at least now I know what an executor and trustee are.

Out of interest, if I write my wishes in plain English ('On my death, I want to leave all my possessions to x'), identifying the executor, sign and get it witnessed by two independent people, is that legally sufficient?

Chris - this link gives a good explanation which may help. Cheers

https://www.gov.uk/make-will
 
Blackswanwood":74zbr9lj said:
Chris152":74zbr9lj said:
Thanks Blackswanwood - it may come to that! I downloaded one and spent a while trying to figure out the basic terms, and I'm now not so sure it's an easy case if I follow what seems to be convention - but at least now I know what an executor and trustee are.

Out of interest, if I write my wishes in plain English ('On my death, I want to leave all my possessions to x'), identifying the executor, sign and get it witnessed by two independent people, is that legally sufficient?

Chris - this link gives a good explanation which may help. Cheers

https://www.gov.uk/make-will
Thanks for the link - it kicked my idea that mine would be straight forward to touch. I'll have to see what I can do on the phone.
Cheers, C
 
My own take on it would be to use a professional if you are concerned about the impact on those you leave behind.

A simple will should not cost much - I would guess £150 - 250. Ask for an estimate. You could DiY but you risk problems if it is in any way unclear and challenged.

For more complex estates you definitely need the job done properly.

As important is to try and ensure that your affairs are left in good order. Particularly with online banking, investment, insurances etc there may be little or no hard evidence to help the executors (eg bank statements).
 
I did my mother's will and my brother's, both stood up OK but they were very simple with straight forward inheritances with no-one to contest anything or need for probate.

As we also have property in another country and wanted the Brussels 4 declaration (to have estate handled under UK law), plus various relations who don't speak English are listed as beneficiaries, we had our solicitor draw them up, cost £100 each. Have named solicitor as an executor in case we both pop off together when Max starts flying again. We wrote the wills out and left solicitor just to convert the tricky bits into legal language which was obviously cheaper than him starting from scratch.
 
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