Storing a 'will'

Mojisola

xylophone wrote: »

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/free-cheap-wills http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/Death/Preparation/DG_10029800 http://www.contestedprobate.co.uk/diy.html
Might be worth a read!
Do be sure that you know how to go about avoiding the pitfalls if you write the will yourself - for example, remember that a witness cannot be a beneficiary and that the witnesses must sign the will in presence of each other.

Neither can the spouse of a beneficiary. Also the witnesses must actually watch the signature being signed - not sign it later, saying "Yes, that's so-and-so's signature."

Yorkie1

I've just done my first will through WillAid.

It really doesn't take very long. About 30 minutes with the solicitor when I gave him my list of instructions:
- executors
- any specific money gifts plus what to do if the gift can't take place (e.g. beneficiary dies)
- any specific item gifts (plus ditto)
- what to do with the residue

Full names and addresses of all non-family beneficiaries and charity number of any charitable beneficiaries.

Then about 20 minutes a week later to sign it.

Solicitor wasn't keen on the Certainty register and is keeping the original in his vault as previously mentioned.

SailorSam

Check with the Probate Office, you can store your Will in the National Archives in London for a small fee.

dzug1

Cybes100 wrote: »

.

I don't thinbk we'll need trusts to be involved, everything is going our daughter, and we won't reach any tax brackets (unfortunately!!!)

Remember it's not a joint will (a mirror one maybe) - there are two separate wills involved.

What happens on the first death? Is the surviving spouse disinherited? Or do they get everything? Or somewhere in between?

Sounds like it may be more complicated than you think

Cybes100

dzug1 wrote: »

Remember it's not a joint will (a mirror one maybe) - there are two separate wills involved.

What happens on the first death? Is the surviving spouse disinherited? Or do they get everything? Or somewhere in between?

Sounds like it may be more complicated than you think

Oh yes, forgot about that instance!!

Have spoken to husband this evening - we are going to go down the solicitor route in the new year, and let them store it!

Seems the sensible thing to do, at least we'll know it will be right.

Thank you for all the comments/advice - it helped us make up ours minds!

Merry Christmas.

Southern_Sadie

Hi,

I didn't realise Certainty was a private company. They were recommended on the Will Aid site so I just went with them.

I guess (I hope!) I've lost nothing, since it was free to register my will. And as I said, the solicitor has the actual will stored in his vault; Certainty just have the solicitor's name and address in case my family don't remember/know which solicitor I used and the name of my executor.

I guess it's not much help to the OP, if they're not using a solicitor anyway.

Yorkie1, I'd be interested to know why your solicitor wasn't keen on Certainty. Surely it's a just complimentary service if the solicitor keeps hold of the will? Or are they dodgy?

Sadie

Yorkie1

To be honest I can't remember for sure what he said about them. There may be nothing dodgy about them at all - just the solicitor preferring to retain control? I have some recollection about it being difficult for anyone else to log on without the registration details but that could be just a figment of my fevered brain!