if you don't have a will can you answer please?

Mrs_Ryan

No will.
No money, no assets, no kids and no possibility of any. I have a small NHS pension for later years with instructions attached that if I should die any proceeds should go to my mum or my nephews, my sister's two boys.
OH has his death in service benefit as payable to me but if he were to cark it the house would go to his Dad. Fine by me- I've said I don't want it. Ditto the car- I don't drive so it would be useless to me!
My Mum is only just making a will now and is appointing my sister and her husband as the executors as she thinks they will do the best job of it which is only fair. She says she wants to keep the money out of my brother's hands which again is fair. She says she'll leave him something but I get the feeling the bulk will go to my sister and her kids. I can't however see that happening as my brother is my Mum's favourite...

claretmatt

Having had the experience of dealing with an estate without a Will I urge everyone in a personal and professional capacity to get one drawn up.

calleyw

But a will is not just about the big stuff.

You might have a piece of jewellery, watch, furniture that you want to go to a certain person.

Without a will that will not happen.

Also you might want to be buried rather than cremated or the other way around. That is all stuff you can specify in your will.

Bleak house and Jarndyce and Jarndyce any one.

Yours

Calley

74jax

calleyw wrote: »

But a will is not just about the big stuff.

You might have a piece of jewellery, watch, furniture that you want to go to a certain person.

Without a will that will not happen.

Also you might want to be buried rather than cremated or the other way around. That is all stuff you can specify in your will.

Bleak house and Jarndyce and Jarndyce any one.

Yours

Calley

I know but he can't bring himself to say I give this to my sister and that too my mum etc, it's the actual dividing he finds hard. He doesn't want to portion it out and would rather the rules at that time apply. I just find it strange but I guess it's his choice.

Seanymph

No one can be sure how someone else's life will pan out after they have gone - so I find such confidence in a spouse's future decision making rather naive.

If you want something to go to your children, will it to them now - don't expect to leave it to your spouse and your spouse to guard that until passing it along.

I do have a will - but my OH won't sign his. I got it made out, it leaves his family home to his children (mine leaves my family home to my children).

he will not sign it.

His children, as it currently stands, will receive nothing, I as his wife, will inherit.

I'm sure if you'd asked his wife 10 years ago when she didn't have a will she'd have had complete and total faith in his future prioritising of his children.

Things change. his relationship with his children isn't the one she had with them - and she, I'm sure, would have thought that he would have ensured their children would inherit in due course.

But actually she'd have been better off putting something in trust, or leaving some to them directly.

Errata

calleyw wrote: »

But a will is not just about the big stuff.

You might have a piece of jewellery, watch, furniture that you want to go to a certain person.

Without a will that will not happen.

Also you might want to be buried rather than cremated or the other way around. That is all stuff you can specify in your will.

Bleak house and Jarndyce and Jarndyce any one.

Yours

Calley

A desire to be buried or cremated can be written in a will but those responsible for the disposal of the remains don't have to abide by it.

Peter333

Seanymph wrote: »

No one can be sure how someone else's life will pan out after they have gone - so I find such confidence in a spouse's future decision making rather naive.

If you want something to go to your children, will it to them now - don't expect to leave it to your spouse and your spouse to guard that until passing it along.

This ^^^ (bolded.) I can't imagine why anyone would not have a will. As has been said, it seems very naive to assume that nothing is going to go wrong, and everyone in your family circle is going to happily split everything between them.

I have seen (many times) things go horribly, horribly wrong when there has been no will.

mr_knight

stclair wrote: »

What about if your OH remarried after your passing then the estate would go to their spouse the children would not get anything.

The reason I made my will. A family friend was in this situation. Her mum had died years earlier she was brought up with step mum, step-sisters and her dad. Dad died and it all went to step mum who then split it all between her children.

74jax

Peter333 wrote: »

This ^^^ (bolded.) I can't imagine why anyone would not have a will. As has been said, it seems very naive to assume that nothing is going to go wrong, and everyone in your family circle is going to happily split everything between them.

I have seen (many times) things go horribly, horribly wrong when there has been no will.

I guess he believes if there's no will nothing can go wrong, it's up to the rules at time to sort.

Newly_retired

We put off making wills for years as we couldn't decide who to appoint as guardians for his children (not mine).
All grown up now and suitable wills made, to take care of house, surviving spouse and children, grandchildren.