In last month’s newsletter we introduced you to our new booklet After I’ve Gone.  Some of you have requested this document and we’ve sent them out – we hope that you are finding it useful.

This handy little booklet contains EVERYTHING (well, pretty much everything) your loved ones will need to know following your passing – and all you have to do is fill it out.  Remember that the more you complete the more your loved ones will know when you are no longer here.

You can add your financial information, funeral arrangements and organ donation preferences. In addition to this you can record details about your electricity/gas/water suppliers. There’s also space to list any personal messages you would like to leave.  And you can also store details of your Will.

And with that being said, let’s talk about Wills…

You may already have a Will in place or be in the process of creating or updating your Will. In which case well done, go to the top of the class! You’re already on top of things.

If you haven’t got a Will, then this bit is for you…

Wills

Maybe it’s not the right time? Maybe you feel it’s too early? But one thing we can say on this is that ‘you are NEVER too young to prepare a Will’.  A Will can prevent worry, indecision and possible conflict between your loved ones dealing with your estate.

Creating a Will is one thing, but it should also be regularly updated to reflect your wishes and ensure that it takes into account any changes in circumstances.

The Money Advice Service has listed 4 major reasons as to why you need a Will:

• A Will makes it much easier for your family or friends to sort everything out when you die – without a Will the process can be more time consuming and stressful.
• If you don’t write a Will, everything you own will be shared out in a standard way defined by the law – which isn’t always the way you might want.
• A Will can help reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax that might be payable on the value of the property and money you leave behind
• Writing a Will is especially important if you have children or other family who depend on you financially, or if you want to leave something to people outside of your immediate family

So if you haven’t got a Will, you really do need to get one in place. If you need a hand finding a solicitor to write your Will then let us know and we can give you some recommendations.

If you would like to request a copy of our FREE booklet, After I’ve Gone, please do get in touch and we will happily send one out to you.