Will Writing

mjgreen60

Hi all,

Firstly, apologies if this is in the wrong place.

I am just looking at writing a mirror will for myself and my wife. There are obviously a number of cheap-ish places out there that provide a very helpful one off service for a good price. However they tend to provide for as things are now. What I can't find is what is best if there are likely to be changes in the future.

We currently have one child, but are likely to have 1 or 2 more in the future so would need to change it for that. I just don't want to be constantly having to pay out for changes when it may be cheaper in the long run to do things differently - eg one off payment allowing for future changes.

If anyone has any suggestions on what is best to do, I'd be really grateful.

Many thanks

mj

Savvy_Sue

mjgreen60 wrote: »

I just don't want to be constantly having to pay out for changes when it may be cheaper in the long run to do things differently - eg one off payment allowing for future changes.

If anyone has any suggestions on what is best to do, I'd be really grateful.

I'd consult a solicitor - actually it's on our 'to do' list as our wills date back to when the boys were small, and the chances of us all going together were higher than they are now (because we're very rarely all together!) but we no longer need guardians for them etc. Also one of our executors has died and we moved away from where the other one lives.

Get quotes. It may not be too expensive, and it will certainly be possible to cover the arrival of future children. If you try to do that with a DIY service, it may not work as well.

bartman100

Check your home insurance I'm with more than they offer a free will writing service and you can make as many changes to the will for as long as you have a policy with them. I did my mine and my wife's all over the Internet its checked by a solicitor emailed back to you to print and get signed.

Savvy_Sue

bartman100 wrote: »

Check your home insurance I'm with more than they offer a free will writing service and you can make as many changes to the will for as long as you have a policy with them. I did my mine and my wife's all over the Internet its checked by a solicitor emailed back to you to print and get signed.

Make sure you get the witnessing done properly each time you change it (and that you understand the requirements the first time around!)

ellay864

We just had our wills done and it wasn't horrendously expensive, and in our case we had 'complications' in that it's 2nd marriage for each of us and we have no children together but each have 2 from previous marriages.
My will now allows for provision for my sons, and horrible though it sounds, it covers 'remaining sons, so if anything happened to one the other is covered. It also covers for possibility of if anything happens to them after them having children. I would think you could easily have a will that allows for your estate to cover any children you have in future. We were advised not to mention specific sums, unless for example there was a specific policy to go to a particular recipient. Generally you'd specify that x% goes to wife, x% to be divided equally between any surviving children, that sort of thing. And remember that anything that went to your wife would only automatically go to your children if she remained single and her will provided for that. If you were to die and she remarried, her estate would generally go to her husband if there was no will stating otherwise. You're wise to think of it now and no reason not to be able to plan for future possibilities

bride2be2012

we are looking at making wills now we are married, well I already have one but it needs changed now I'm married, my DH doesn't have one yet. I came across https://www.finalfling.com the other evening, it has lots of useful info about wills, and other related things. I now want a VW campervan at my funeral, I had one as my wedding car a few weeks ago!.

mjgreen60

Thanks for all the replies. Does anyone have any experience of finalfling? Looks really good as for one off fee you can revisit your will as often as you want, stored online.

Thanks again

mj

Jinx

mjgreen60 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies. Does anyone have any experience of finalfling? Looks really good as for one off fee you can revisit your will as often as you want, stored online.

Thanks again

mj

How is this witnessed if stored and updated online?

McKneff

In your will you could write the words

'any issue of mine'

that covers all children

bride2be2012

We've not actually got around to completing the wills but have registered on the site. It looks pretty straightforward to be honest.

For the witnesses, once you have completed the will online you then print it off for your witnesses to sign. It advises you give one copy to your solicitor. If you make changes, I think you just print it off again and get it witnessed again. We'll prob get around to doing it at the weekend.

Savvy_Sue

bride2be2012 wrote: »

For the witnesses, once you have completed the will online you then print it off for your witnesses to sign.

But I say again, do make sure you understand what needs to happen with signatures and witnesses: I think it is the case that the witnesses sign to say that they have seen you actually sign - in other words 3 of you have to be in the same room at the same time and they watch you sign, then sign themselves.

I understand that a lot of mistakes are made at this point, with witnesses being asked to sign without having seen you sign.

bride2be2012 wrote: »

It advises you give one copy to your solicitor.

Why? What are they going to do with it?

If you want a copy kept securely, then the Probate Service will do so for a one-off fee (obviously you'd have to pay again every time you changed it). Your solicitor - even assuming you have one - may charge to store the will. And as you haven't used them to draw up this will, why would they not? They have to make their money somewhere.