no i have no intention of popping off any time soon but we all got to go sometime but i dont want all my hard earned going to the government or my scabby sister who is my only relative.
so what,s the easiest way folks?

Dont bother with a will. Give it all to me and I"ll make surwe its put to good use!!!

see a solicitor its the only way, your bank can also arrange [free if you are a premier customer]

Hi,
Go to the ipw.org.uk website. They will give you the contact details for members of their institute who will do a good job at a fair price. All members qualified in what they do and insured! Not like banks!
geoff.xt

i bought my Will pack in the post office, was about £4.50 and as long its witnessed by someone in an authoritave position job, ie teacher, police man, judge, doctor etc then its legally binding

i dont think housewife or shop assistant counted, !

well i hope mine is !legal !
but there again when im dead thats it ??

Hi Stevem,
It isn't so important who the witnesses are so long as they are are capable of knowing what they are doing and not beneficiaries or relatives of beneficiaries. It is more important how the Will is witnessed ie. were there two witnesses when you signed and who both watched you sign and then watched each other sign whilst still in your presence. If not it's a dud!

You can get it done free with some charities in return for a donation in your will, talk to a solicitor to see if they operate the scheme. My wife and I support Cancer Research UK, the fee paid by them for our joint wills was £175 in return for a donation in our wills of £1000.

geoffxt

You may be very right, but if i can find the paperwork that came with the pack it certainly said, to the words of "witnesses need to hold an authoritave position"

I may of course read it incorrectly, but we had a Doctor, and the Vicar that married us many many years ago !!!

You don't need a solicitor, but you do need a good form of words, witnesses and to register it in London (can't remember which body it is - Probate Office or something?).

My Mrs and I did it some years ago DIY style ... and wrote wills as well

[Edited on 04.12.2009 by Humbug]

Hallo again Steve m,
Did the doctor and vicar (pardon the expression) 'do it together' and in your presence? If not the Will is invalid having not been correctly executed.

hahhaha

they certainley did sign together, in the presence of my Father and Mother in law at my Grandson's Christening

all very tidy ?? and theres photo evidence

Dr has since died, shame, he was a fab person, and was my family DR

Steve

Here is a simple form will. You just need to fill in your details and decide to whom you want to leave your "worldly goods" . If there are two or more benficiaries then you need to state what share each one should receive.
You need to appoint an executor and then get the document signed in front of two witnesses (who are not beneficiaries and not related to beneficiaries) - ie you have to sign in front of both of them at the same time. They need to sign and date (usually they will also state their job title etc)

If you have an estate which will attract potential inheritance tax etc then you should consult a lawyer. Same goes if you have children/ a spouse etc


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cheers for the replies peep,swho do you give it to for safe keeping?

[Edited on 4/12/09 by theconrodkid]

The solicitor who prepared ours keeps the original at no cost and we have a copy.

one of the benefits of lodging it with your bank is that, if you pop your clogs, your will *will* be found and your wishes will be fulfilled, rather than risking the default sister/govt situation if it's with a random solicitor that you hope will notice if you die.

My last experience with Natwest probate team was unpleasant, though.

Conrod, m8

i could be your brother ????

nice try steve

quote:

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Originally posted by garyoMy last experience with Natwest probate team was unpleasant, though.

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Hi Guys,
The various replies to this thread highlight the need for professional advice when considering Wills. No one has mentioned looking after minor children's interests by appointing guardians. Let your families try to get the children back from Social Services if you and your other half have a prang the Locost. How about creating trusts in the Will to ensure the children are financially looked after until they're old enough to manage their own affairs. There are many aspects to making a Will and it was this that prompted me to suggest the Institute of Professional Willwriters for advice on its members in the area where you live. Its members are from many professions; lawyers, accountants, financial services etc. but the common denominator is that they are all specialists in Willwriting, qualified by examinations in the subject they practice with professional insurance indemnity to protect their clients and Wicket, yes they do work in conjunction with Charities some of which will pay the costs of the Will if the Charity is left a legacy. If you are thinking of making a Will use the ipw.org.uk website as a starting point!

Yes, the solicitor raised a lot of questions and went into minute detail about trusts for children etc, things that I doubt most people would think about when producing a will on there own. We are glad that we had ours done professionally, I think it is worth the fee for peace of mind.