Last Will and Testament (kits).

[Lloyd90]

Does anyone know if the simple will packs available on Amazon are any good? Or at least up to the job? 

[old man]

Having just done ours via a solicitor, I would say proceed with care unless a pro job. Our solicitor raised so many points we hadn't thought about?

Look to see if you can a deal anyhow?

[Old farrier]

Get it done properly by a professional for the peace of mind 

[gdadphil]

if you mess up a d-i-y will your dependents will suffer the hassle of sorting it out (it may not be fixable)

A solicitor is trained to do it and as old man said, know all the issues you need to address

every Oct/Nov there is a scheme where Solicitors draw up simple wills for a donation to charity (check out Money Saving Expert from September onwards)

I got a will done this way and I know it's OK

cheers

gdadphil 

[Zapp]

My dad decided to make some changes to his will last year and we used the coop.  They were good and it was about £200.

[Yellow Bear]

4 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

Get it done properly by a professional for the peace of mind 

👍This

[Dave at kelton]

5 minutes ago, Yellow Bear said:

👍This

+1

[Dave-G]

I think it depends on how complicated it and the family is. My partner and I are not married but our three kids all love and trust each other and know the surviving partner cops the lot till it gets split three ways after the second one goes.

[Scully]

37 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

Get it done properly by a professional for the peace of mind 

This.....is what I did. It’s worth the money simply for the above. 

[Dave at kelton]

If you have anything worth leaving it is worth a couple of hundred quid to get it done properly. It’s alright saying the kids are all fair and get on but many is the problems I have seen when partners and others get involved. Get to a decent solicitor and get it right!

[marsh man]

1 hour ago, Zapp said:

My dad decided to make some changes to his will last year and we used the coop.  They were good and it was about £200.

We done ours by a solicitor 10/15 years ago , in that period of time some things change and some people will want to bring the old will up to date , we did when we recently moved and I believe it was £180 when or if you want to alter it , so it pay you to get it right in the first place , easier said than done when family members go there own way as life wears on.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, I think WH Smith sell them so you can maybe take a look, I'm spending all my loot 🤔😁

[The Heron]

2 hours ago, Old farrier said:

Get it done properly by a professional for the peace of mind 

Absolutely correct 👍

[London Best]

My only daughter said, “I know what I’m going to get. You will spend all the money on shooting and I’ll just get the house and a worn-out shotgun.”

YEP!

[Jim Neal]

You've raised a realist there!

[Lloyd90]

1 hour ago, London Best said:

My only daughter said, “I know what I’m going to get. You will spend all the money on shooting and I’ll just get the house and a worn-out shotgun.”

YEP!

That’s if the council doesn’t take the house first. 😬

[mrpip]

Me and the wife have just done ours with solicitors , both been married before 4 grown up kids between us. 

My mother who is 90 had to go into care in last year, early onset dementia which has been a nightmare getting things sorted no power of attorney, no access to her due to pandemic then you get a jobsworth on the phone who comes out with, can your mother come into the bank if not there is nothing we can do. Its been a very stressful experience but we've managed to sort it for now. 

So we also set up financial and medical LPA for the 2 daughters it was an expense but well worth it to us.

[Loki]

Hi

If a Will is done 'properly' there is more to leaving all to designated people/family - eg. catastrophic loss - all have a horrific accident - what happens then unless you leave to HM Gobbernuts, just saying......

Executors - those of experience (read mature/aged) usually look to those close to around them to Execute - usually of the same age and hence likely may not be around - competancy and the will (no pun intended again) to jump through all the hoops to settle up will be stressfull. Solicitors (or equivalent) take a chunk based on Estate value.

Family - hmmm - all get on very well, but changes take over fairly swiftly - if it can go wrong it usually will (no pun intended) - looking down (whatever your belief(s)) and nowt you can do...

L

 

[London Best]

8 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

That’s if the council doesn’t take the house first. 😬

Hopefully sorted that. We transferred the house to daughter’s ownership many years ago now.

[Lampwick]

1 hour ago, London Best said:

Hopefully sorted that. We transferred the house to daughter’s ownership many years ago now.

I was told if that was done to avoid future care costs they can still come after it? 

[old man]

13 hours ago, Dave-G said:

I think it depends on how complicated it and the family is. My partner and I are not married but our three kids all love and trust each other and know the surviving partner cops the lot till it gets split three ways after the second one goes.

That could be just the start of fun? Having some idea of the current speed of relationships and dependants.... get pro advice?

[Lloyd90]

1 hour ago, Lampwick said:

I was told if that was done to avoid future care costs they can still come after it? 

You need to do it years before you have any sort of care needs or disability or something. 
 

If you get assessed by the council for home care then the next week sign your house over to someone else after you’ve had all the info on charges for future care they will say you’ve done it to avoid future fees. 
 

If you’ve done it years and years before you ever needed care they’d have a hard time proving why you did it.

[London Best]

5 minutes ago, Lloyd90 said:

You need to do it years before you have any sort of care needs or disability or something. 
 

If you get assessed by the council for home care then the next week sign your house over to someone else after you’ve had all the info on charges for future care they will say you’ve done it to avoid future fees. 
 

If you’ve done it years and years before you ever needed care they’d have a hard time proving why you did it.

My solicitor said that seven years before you needed any care home and you should be in the clear. It is already more than that in our case. 
Why do the landed gentry pass on their estates to the next generation so early, usually before the offspring are thirty? To keep it in the family, obviously. Not that we have any estates, just a three bed semi! But the council aren’t having it even if I’m dribbling in me puddin.

 

[Dave-G]

2 hours ago, old man said:

That could be just the start of fun? Having some idea of the current speed of relationships and dependants.... get pro advice?

Point taken but we are an extremely simple couple who have been together for 48 years and our three kids already know what we both want. The 2 bed semi is jointly owned and not much else to squabble about. Our one car is an 18 years old X-Trail. There is enough in the bank to cover both funerals with not much more.

we're looking to keep it simple and low cost with as much money as possible left for them as a deposit for a modest house each, the youngest has recently bought a house so will pay a chunk off his mortgage or buy a second. I'm currently in the process of thinning out the cabinet and scopes - and most of my night vision stuff because none of them will be wanting those items and won't know where to get good prices for them. Her indoors would simply keep binning them till they are gone.

Instructions have already been given that both funerals are to be simple and basic cremations. They each know they'll get 1/3 of the estate after we are both gone. As said we are an uncomplicated family who luckily get on extremely well - even with the kids spouses. 

Finally, our daughter lives only a mile away and works in a care home: we have both said we'd rather peg it than go to a care home and daughter also insists she won't let that happen.

Edited January 26 by Dave-G

[Lloyd90]

6 minutes ago, London Best said:

My solicitor said that seven years before you needed any care home and you should be in the clear. It is already more than that in our case. 
Why do the landed gentry pass on their estates to the next generation so early, usually before the offspring are thirty? To keep it in the family, obviously. Not that we have any estates, just a three bed semi! But the council aren’t having it even if I’m dribbling in me puddin.

 

Thats inheritance tax for the 7 years.

 

I believe deprivation of assets is more recent legislation and you want to take a careful look at it. 

 

You should be clear however if you’ve had no dealing with the council for that 7 years etc. 
 

On one hand people transfer their assets obviously so the LA doesn’t take it one day, but do it early enough and you can say that’s now why you did it ...

 

Worth looking up ‘acceptable reason’s’ you did it one day asked.