Possible problem in the future.

hardpressed

I have a friend who is estranged from his adult children, their choice not his. As far as he is aware he is still married, although his wife, who is not the mother of his children, walked out of his life many years ago. He classes me as his next of kin, has it recorded with his doctor, legally I'm not but he can't see this. He has nothing but his state pension so unless he wins the lottery will have nothing to leave. He wants me to deal with everything if he dies before me, arrange funeral etc. doesn't want them to have anything to do with it. How can he ensure that his wishes are carried out?

Gingernutty

He has to write a will.

If he leaves it and dies still married to his wife, then she inherits. If she's dead by then, then his children inherit.

hardpressed

As I said unless he wins the lottery there will be nothing to leave. He just wants to make sure I can deal with any arrangements.

Money_maker

What about prepaying and arranging his funeral before he dies?

getmore4less

The reality is that whoever registers the death gets the form that any funeral director will insist on.

The problem arises if you are not eligable to register the death or they find out and step in.

https://www.gov.uk/after-a-death/register-the-death

if you register the death it goes on the public record.

As above post says consider getting it pre arranged and paid for.

troubleinparadise

You say there will be nothing in his estate - will there actually be enough money to pay for a funeral?

If you arrange a funeral as he wishes, you might find yourself liable for the bill.

Perhaps the two of you need to sort this out, along with a will to make it all clear.

Keep_pedalling

You really need to talk this through with hiim in detail. If there is not enough for his funeral then that is an issue, although most people will have a least enough for that. Does he not have some small savings, or some form of life insurance?

Mojisola

hardpressed wrote: »

He wants me to deal with everything if he dies before me, arrange funeral etc. doesn't want them to have anything to do with it. How can he ensure that his wishes are carried out?

He can write a will and make you his executor and state in the will that he wants you to make all the funeral arrangements.

It's very important to make plans for paying for the funeral in advance.

If he only has a state pension, see whether he's entitled to Pension Credit as well.

G6JNS

hardpressed wrote: »

As I said unless he wins the lottery there will be nothing to leave. He just wants to make sure I can deal with any arrangements.

The problem is if it is unlikely that he has sufficient funds to pay for funeral then someone else will have to do so. The default is that the local authority or the hospital are obliged to pay if nobody else will. In such a case they will make the arrangements and the relatives will have little say in the details. If the relatives decide that they want to pay for, and organize, the funeral there is little anybody can do to stop them.

G6JNS

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

You really need to talk this through with hiim in detail. If there is not enough for his funeral then that is an issue, although most people will have a least enough for that. Does he not have some small savings, or some form of life insurance?

Sadly this is not the case. Thousands of people have to be buried by the state every year because they have no funds. From what the OP said this is one of those cases.

hardpressed

He lives from week to week, pays his rent, food etc, there's not much left over. I'll try and talk him into making a will, that's the best I can do.