Ian Nicholson from Beaulieu Wills and Estate Planning writes for Phoenix FM:
So, after last month’s departure into the calculus classroom, with a lesson on the dangers of writing your own Will, this month we are back by popular demand with our family around the dinner table!
This time the kids are asking Mum and Dad “So if it makes so much sense to do a Will, why has it taken so long for you to do yours”?
The simple answer is (as I do like to mention) that there isn’t just one regular reason why people don’t do a Will. There are many and some of the common ones I regularly get are:
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I’m too young
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It’s too expensive
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I’ve nothing to leave
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It’s too complicated to do
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I can’t decide on who to leave what to who
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I’m not planning on dying
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I’ll do it once Christmas/Holidays/Birthdays/Easter etc. etc. are over
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I don’t want to think about it!
Now, the truth is that hardly anyone ever tells me the final point. But I reckon that it accounts for an extremely high percentage of why people do not do it sooner.
Yes, some of the other points might have some merit, but if nothing else, a Will leaves no one undecided on what you want to happen (including at your Funeral). So many times, people die prematurely and those left behind have not one idea as to what their friends/relatives/loved ones wanted. I could wax lyrical with counter arguments for all the above, but for now let just look at a couple:
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It’s too expensive – It’s an old truth that people will spend money on what they want, NOT what they need. The fact is that I charge about the same for a Will as you’d pay on a Spa Day (and more likely than not, that cost would cover two Mirror Wills for a couple). Now, I’m not saying a hot stone massage and a facial isn’t worth it, but if you look at it like that, you’ll see it isn’t actually that expensive at all.
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It’s Too Complicated – Well that’s where speaking to someone like me takes away all the complications. For the most part, you’ll only need to speak to me for about an hour, for me to have all the information I need. I send out a simple email beforehand which details exactly what I need, and we use that to decide what needs to go in the will. If there is anything you’re unclear about I explain it in plain English. The best bit is that once I’ve got all the information, you’ll get the draft copy within 24-48 hours. Meaning you can soon forget about it again.
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I’m not planning on dying – Out of all the “reasons” this is the one that I struggle to control my response to. Most people do not “plan to die”. Death comes to us all unfortunately. And generally, at a time when we and our families are least prepared. It may sound harsh, but it’s the truth. And the fact is that unless we do some preparation, then the people we leave behind will have one more thing to worry about!
Now on a more positive note, thankfully most of us will lead long productive and fruitful lives. All I try to get people to do is a little bit of forward planning, some small tick box exercises for the future.
So now, back at that dinner table – Mum and Dad have struggled to explain to the kids exactly why they took so long writing their Wills. But at least they have done them now, and by facing their fear and talking honestly about them, their kids won’t make the same mistake.
If you’ve been putting it off and want to chat to see how easy it really is, just contact me in the usual way by calling for a confidential chat on 01277 562567, or pop me an email to ian.nicholson@bwep.uk. You can also message me on 07919 241386 and the website is still www.bwep.uk.
So, until next month (when I’ll have some exciting news about an unusual way I’m writing a Will for someone to raise money for charity) stay safe one and all…
Don’t wait, protect your Estate!
