Yes it is. We have heard so many cases where people have died suddenly and never had a Will in place. I also personally experienced this with my boyfriend when I was young and again with my brother nearly 3 years ago.
Many times the Will is not for you, but to make it easier and less stressful for the people left behind. How will they know what to do if they don’t know your wishes. Not only that, if there is no Will in place then Probate will take a lot longer and can be a more costly experience for your loved ones as well.
Our advice, don’t put them through this extra stress because they will be finding things hard enough without you.
Trust me, it took us months and months to get everything sorted when my brother died so suddenly. He had money in Super and he had a property of his own and we were left with enormous grief for losing him so young and so suddenly and more grief because we had to deal with all the legal issues and not knowing what he really wanted.
And I know you might say, well my family and friends know me well so they know what I want. That though is still not enough. You still need your own Will and I have pointed out the reasons why further below.
My story around having a Will.
As many of you know, I had major surgery earlier this year on my neck and I needed to update my Will in case anything went wrong and I either died or was paralysed. Believe me this was not a fun experience and not something I wanted to do.
I knew though if something unforeseen did happen to me at least I would save my family and my 2 girls the grief of deciding what to do for me and with me if they weren’t sure.
i needed to make some really hard decisions around my Medical Attorney, my Will and my Legal Power of Attorney. Like I said it wasn’t easy. It was an emotional time for me and I had to decide at what point do they turn the machine off if I wasn’t going to come out of it well.
These decisions are hard for your family and friends regardless, but it will make it slightly easier if you have a full Will, medical and legal Power of Attorney in place.
Things like this should never be left to chance. And if you have property you also want to protect that and make sure it doesn’t go to the wrong person.
So here are some very valid reasons why you should have a Will in place.
- When you have a valid and current Will, you decide who your assets go to, rather than someone else deciding.
- If children are involved then you have peace of mind knowing they will be looked after by the person of your choice.
- You get to determine who will manage your Estate which also can help things to run more smoothly.
- With your funeral you can elect what you want it to look like and how and where you want it to be held.
- Helps to prevent family disputes of who should get what and maybe someone getting more than you would like them to.
- If there is a charity you would like some money to go to, you can determine who it will be and how much.
If you choose not to make a Will then your property will be distributed according to a certain process. This is known as Intestate.
How your assets are divided may not be to your liking and intention.
Your children, spouse, partner, friends or family may not receive the protection and the asset you would have desired. Your property may even have to be sold. This can be a very complicated, costly and time consuming process for the people left behind.
So please if you don’t have a Will get one.
If you have a property or once you have bought one, please get your Will updated as soon as you can. That way you and those important to you will have greater peace of mind, knowing you have a current Will in place.
And remember it is not just a Will you need but also a Medical Power of Attorney and Legal Power of Attorney. So please do this sooner than later, rather than leaving it until it is too late.
Until next time, be safe, be happy and love where you live!
Warm regards,
Melinda
