Insurance

Shockingly 75% of the UK population haven't made a will. Most feel that they don't need one or at least not yet, what they fail to understand is the difference it could make to their families if they were to die early. Below are some of the common objections people have when facing the prospect of making a will.

1. "I don't have time for making a will!"
Living in the time-poor generation we do, many feel they simply can't spare the time needed to arrange their last will and testament. However making a will isn't as time-consuming as you might imagine. In order to protect your family and possessions most solicitors ask for less than an hour of your time. All that you would need to do is simply answer a few questions and complete a form. You don't need to hand over large sums of money either, in fact the fee for making a standard will can be from as little as £100.

2. "I'm only young, do I need a will?"
Sadly people do die young. If you haven't made a will then it will be up to the law to decide who inherits your estate. You must think about how traumatic your family would find it if on top of dealing with your death they had to fight a legal battle to receive what they felt was rightfully theirs. Issues can be as serious as who gets custody of your children and whether your partner would be able to carry on living in your home after you've died. By taking the simple measures mentioned above you can demolish these worries and have peace of mind that your loved ones would not be left high and dry.

3. "I don't want to think about dying!"
Dying isn't the most pleasant think to think about but it could happen at any time. You don't need to think about yourself actually dying, just about what you would want for your loved ones if you did. You should think of making a will the same as getting insurance, for example, when you get home insurance you don't necessarily want you house to burn down but if it did you would be a lot better off knowing that you had the insurance and weren't left homeless. Making a will would ensure that your family would be supported and protected if the worst were to happen.

4. "Everything will just go to my partner, won't it?"
No, unfortunately this is rarely the case. If you die without making a will the Intestacy rules come into play meaning that your partner may have no rights at all if you are not married. Even if you are married your partner may not receive everything that you would want them to. If you have children you also need to take in to consideration what you would like them to have for the future; simply signing everything over to your partner may not be the best option.

5. "What's the point in making a will when I don't have any money?"
You may have more money than you actually think, especially when taking into account insurance policies and pensions. You also have to consider the value of your house. A will would cover how you wanted these assets distributed and who would be your chosen beneficiaries. By making a will early on your solicitor will be able to give you advice on how to resolve any tax issues that might arise. Also don't forget that your will sets out any requests you may have about your funeral and your wishes in regards to custody of your children not just about who inherits your money. Making a will is important for everyone regardless of their financial situation.

So if anyone asks you "do I need a will?" make sure they understand the implications it may have on their loved ones if they were to die without making one.