Allotments 4 All

That is why I got you here.

Most people have a hidden fear of it happening

Fact is most people do not leave a will and that hard earned money could end up with the government.  Or worse, a relative you dislike or have never met could get all your money when a dear friend could have it all.

Who will admit that they have not made one out?

I came into this world with nothing and have very little of it left. So nothing to write into a will.

We wrote ours after the first boy was born... and apart from the odd tweak it still stands. Annoyed the solicitor wouldn't let us write in scattering the ashes on the lottie though...  :-X

Yes, PH its something we must do.

As things stand, we have no children, OH has three brothers and I have a sister.  We would not want anything to go to them, so it's something we REALLY MUST do.

To quote the old chestnut - There are no pockets in shrouds, and no luggage racks in hearses. ;D

valmarg

I've had a will since the 70's updated when things changed over the years. Over the last few years I've been trying to organise things so it will be easy for the kids to deal with things when I die. Of course I don't know when that will be, but I know it'll happen sooner or later so I reckon it's as well to be prepared.

We made ours a few years ago in "Willaid" month. Unfortunately it's always November so you've just missed it.

http://www.willaid.org.uk/

Quote from: ACE on December 11, 2010, 18:32:56
I came into this world with nothing and have very little of it left. So nothing to write into a will.

Who gets the knee ;D ;D

We were told at the antenatal class that, without a will, there is a real possibility that our children will grow up in care, should the worst happen without a guardian written into our will.  And that the children will not get the proceeds from our worldly goods either, that would be taken by the state.

I don't know whether the laws are different today (this was 23 years ago), but it got us off our behinds promptly after DD was born!

Quote from: saddad on December 12, 2010, 14:35:54
We wrote ours after the first boy was born... and apart from the odd tweak it still stands. Annoyed the solicitor wouldn't let us write in scattering the ashes on the lottie though...  :-X

Would Alison not want to use you as a bit of a soil improver? I would just do it sneakily and then reap the bountiful harvest!!! ;) ;) ;)

Hi Galina, don't think the law has changed we made our wills last year as we thought it was about time as we now had a little girl to consider and we were told that without a will being in place if something happened to us she would be put into care which shocked us.  Just wonder how many people like us just presumed that the children would go to next of kin!!

It is true that there are normal ways to inherit so if you die, your spouse has it all

after that it is your kids and if they are dead your grandchildren.

BUT outside of that it gets complicated

That nice lady next door who has done all she could for you over the years including looking after your funeral details at her own expense will get nothing and some distant relative like your grandfather['s sister's kid's son whom you have never met gets the lot.

OR WORSE no one can be found so the government gets all your dosh.

You might like this story.

Several years ago my parents (aged 80+) remade their wills at my request. The solicitor proudly told them that he would only  charge them £50 for it. The profit would come from looking after their estate.

When they died, both very closely ( I think not such a bad thing for them but hard for me) I as their executor phoned the probate office and got told how to do the job. I went to the solicitor who, whilst rubbing his hands together at the start of the meeting ended up telling me that if I could sort it out by my self I was doing a good job.

I did sort it out myself and because the wills had been freshly made it was a simple act. Not only did I give the beneficiaries as stated but I also gave to those my parents forgot to mention when they went to the solicitor but thought of later and told me verbally afterwards.

I feel totally happy that their final wishes have been fulfilled. I feel good for it.

Using the format of their will I made out my own and when I sold their house I asked the solicitor who was acting for me to complete my wishes accordingly.

A decent bloke he said it was a perfectly written will which he could not improve on so all I had to do was to get two witnesses to sign whilst all three of us were together.

Cost ...nil.

GET IT DONE IF ANY ONE NEEDS HELP PM ME please..........

You can't take it with you and I hope, like me, you will spend it all before you go but, just in case........don't let it get wasted.

Zig Zag I feel like copying your letter particularly the bit where you said you felt good about fulfilling your parents final wishes to my oldest brother. My Mother had a will but a couple of weeks before she died he appears to have bullied her into making another using his own solicitor (and friend). Even so she still divided her property equally between all her children but had already given the eldest half ( i don't think she knew she had) however as executor he just gave himself the rest after insisting her house was virtually worthless. My mother's (and certainly not my Father's) final wishes were not fulfilled and three years later i'm told he hasn't even got her a headstone out of the money he stole.

Quote from: Deb P on December 13, 2010, 11:56:44

Quote from: saddad on December 12, 2010, 14:35:54
We wrote ours after the first boy was born... and apart from the odd tweak it still stands. Annoyed the solicitor wouldn't let us write in scattering the ashes on the lottie though...  :-X

Would Alison not want to use you as a bit of a soil improver? I would just do it sneakily and then reap the bountiful harvest!!! ;) ;) ;)

That is exactly what will happen... to one of us at least... still working on the boys for the second...  ;D

Kia I do understand what you are saying.

In fact it is exactly my point.#

We are so, shall we say spooked about will making.

That one bossy person can manipulate things.

If we all thought that will making was a normal thing and that it involved the family then one schemer would never get away with what you are telling us.

At present we seem to all feel that by leaving a will or asking our loved ones to make a will that we are saying////YOU ARE GOING TO DIE///

Well we all know that we will die, yet we have a phobia about accepting it.

Lets stop the phobia. Accept the fact and make sure that our final wishes are made before some rogue relative steps in and manipulates things......

Your input is valuable and thank you for it.

Glad you made the point about scattering ashes on the lottie.

I wanted to make a will saying no funeral etc just dispose of me some years ago and a solicitor advised me that this was not acceptable relatives may want something different.

After my parents died I had the oportunity to speak to the local undertaker and they were disgusted at that and told me that they would happily accept my instructions.

All I had to do was to tell the solicitor that I had left instructions with them and that they would abide by them at the appropriate time.

Again it is a matter of thinking in advance and getting your wishes sorted out.

Not nice when we are fit and able bodied but most hospices do offer a facility for people when every one knows they are at the end. Thankfully for most of us the end is sudden. No reason why we can not leave instructions though.

I think my friend's mother had the right idea...she told every one what she wanted and then added.....If you don't do it.....I will come back and haunt you...

I have made a will, but would like my ashes either on the allotment or on the tennis courts, and I will be very happy either watching the vegs grow or people playing tennis.  If this is not possible just throw me in the sea. Please don't put me on the mantlepiece, I would rather be outdoors.  I am sure if it is done discretely no-one will know that I am there watching.

If there is reincarnation then I'd like to come back as one of Squash's well fed and looked after allotment cats!  :)

Quote from: Flighty on December 14, 2010, 21:41:31
If there is reincarnation then I'd like to come back as one of Squash's well fed and looked after allotment cats!  :)

wanna be a fly on the wall when you go to the solicitors to have that written into your will

It is said that people who do not make a will like the Government more than their family.

Everyone has something of value which they would like to leave to someone after their death. no matter how large/small expensive/cheap and it is therefore IMPORTANT that EVERYONE makes a will.

The laws of intestacy are very straight forward. Without a will your estate will go to spouse, children first. If none of them to your parents then siblings then grandparents then uncles/aunts then cousins (no matter how far away 1st 2nd 3rd etc) and if no living relatives of any type everything to the Crown.

You do not have to use a solicitor to write a will, you can do it yourself on a will form from a stationers or even on a piece of paper. The important thing is to make sure the will is not ambigous and that it is signed by you as the testator and witnessed by two people who are NOT beneficiaries.

I would recommend NOT to use a bank because they will insist on being executors and will charge a huge fee at the time that Probabte is required.

There is no reason why you should not write in your will your wishes for burial/cremation and where you would like your ashes spread. 

I know this was a while ago, but it prompted me into doing something. Have just submitted my will with Which (using the Moneysavingexpert discount voucher) - £104 for the 2 of us.

Having worked in financial services I've seen what can happen when people don't make one, but had never got around to doing one myself. At least my children will get what's theirs & be looked after by the best person.

So, thanks for the reminder!