Will Week

Jo4

Hubby & I need to make a will but our home is in his name as he owned it before we got married. Our bank accounts are in both names. We have no children. Hubbys parents are both deceased and he was an only child. My parents are living and I have 4 sisters.

Hubby & I go everywhere together ::) so if something happens 1 it will probably happen to the other. Who do we leave home etc to and who is the executor to the will? :-/ I obviously haven't a clue what to do but have been reading this thread with interest. Can someone please help?

Smitty

who you leave your home to is completely up to you. Other family/friends?

you can also chose who are the executers of your will, but it is nice to inform them first They will be in charge of administrating your estate should you die. It might be that they need professional advice to do this, but if this is the case, at least they can shop around and get it at a competitive price. If you let solicitors be the executers of the will, they will set their own rates

Jo4

Smitty Thanks for helping me but I am very sorry I cannot help you! We haven't a clue who to leave it to! What would happen if we left it to our 4 nieces and 3 nephews who are all under 18? What happens then, do they get the money that the house is worth when they reach 18 or what? :-/

Smitty

Ill take it off ya hands

mmm... if you did not want them to have it till they were 18, this would involve setting up a trust fund. This would probably be outside the will-aid, simple will package and you would pay extra for this.

would you want the house sold, then the proceeds putting in trust funds for your nephews and nieces?

stevegsx1400

I am a member of the Transport and General workers Union, they offer a free will making service. I also believe to be the case of some of the other unions.

Pink.

However there is of course a loophole in the charitable answer.

When you give to charity, if you are a taxpayer then there is gift aid on top, so the charity gets 28% more than you are donating (if you're a higher rate taxpayer then you can also assign through your tax return it to get an even bigger tax boon).

This means if you were to donated 78% of the actual amount you would have paid - the charity gets the full amount but you pay less.

Good point Martin. So I can donate 78%......therefore I have gained and the charity gets the full whack, 100%?

Does anyone know how to go about organising gift aid? Or should I contact the charity concerned?

Pink

newkiwi

joannaclaire,

I haven't got a clue either to the first part, but I guess the answer to the second part is no, and we're going to have to pay a fortune for some fancy solicitor (ie not your average high street one) to find out & do our wills properly. :-/

We're expecting our first at the moment so we really need to make some decisions. There isn't anybody in NZ who I'd want to burden with being executor and we can hardly ask somebody from the UK to come out & do it, so it looks like it'll have to be a solicitor. Yippee, that's a load of money gone from the estate already.

Savvy_Sue

Good point Martin. So I can donate 78%......therefore I have gained and the charity gets the full whack, 100%?

Does anyone know how to go about organising gift aid? Or should I contact the charity concerned?

I'd be surprised if there wasn't a form to fill in and a box to tick for the Gift Aid. But if not, it is now very easy to gift aid to any charity: although most have a proper form which they may ask you to complete. Here's something I found on http://www.givingcampaign.org.uk/ (specifically HERE if you want to hop straight to it)

Sample Declaration (used together with name and address)
I want (insert name of charity) to Gift Aid all donations I’ve made since 6 April 2000 and
all future donations until I notify you otherwise. I confirm that the amount I have paid
in income tax or capital gains tax in the tax year will at least equal the amount the
charity will claim.

Wookie

Could I suggest that you obtain an advance funeral directive. This is a plan for your own funeral.
Although not legally binding, your best bet is to leave it with a trustworthy friend or family member who can deliver the details when the time comes.
In my experience, wills are usually read after the funeral.

I recommend this site: https://www.naturaldeath.org.uk
Click on 'News' to find downloadable Death Plans & Funeral Wishes forms for £5.00

I picked up a free directive from my local creamtorium, who also offer tours of the crematorium. Times are changing!

I don't know that much about wills, but I suspect that if you died intestate, ie without having made a will, then the government will decide who gets your estate. So, if there's somebody you don't like but who is next of kin, then a will would ensure they don't benefit from your departure. And your favourite charity or secret love child or who/whatever is special to you will definitely receive nothing if you have no will.

I have a question which I am too embarrassed to ask my solicitor about. If I were to pop my clogs my family would be totally adamant about a religious funeral and a burial. I do not want either of these and to tell them in life would lead to so many arguments as they are all so into their faith, while I am not. I want to make these decisions on the behalf of my family so that they know exactly what to do and can say it was my choice. Is it appropriate to put this in my will, or would that be too late? Or do I tell my executors that my will should be read before my funeral is arranged to avoid me being dug up (oh what a nightmare thought)? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Smitty

I booked my appointment but the solicitor was very keen to emphasize that it cost £65 + VAT

I am just concerned they are going to force me to pay £65 + VAT... they can't force me, can they? :-/

Can someone put my mind at ease, or I will be sweating all the way through my appointment on Monday