Simple will

Liberal · 25 May at 9:50AM

Hi. My wife and I need a will. We have 2 grown up children. Own our own house. No other wills. No complexities. Everything will be left to the 2 children. My issue is that I do not want to pay out hundreds to a solicitor for what is a straightforward document . Is there a simple site where I can just copy an existing will and change names and addresses? I thought this would be a simple thing to copy and paste. Has anyone done this and where did they find it? I know about the charity route but this still involves solicitors. Thanks

flaneurs_lobster · 25 May at 10:00AM

Do nothing. Under standard intestacy rules your estate will pass equally to your children on your deaths.

Others will be along shortly to explain why this is a bad idea.

Emmia · 25 May at 10:13AM

What is the approximate value of your estate currently?

A simple solicitor drafted will would be a couple of hundred, as a percentage of your estate what does that cost equate to?

Intestacy laws are great if those who survive you are the ones you intend to give your money to... But what if they don't? Who inherits then?

Are you happy for the ultimate fall back to be the government to inherit if there are no survivors under the intestacy laws, or would you rather it went to a charity of your choosing or to friends... If you'd rather it went to a charity or your friends, then you need a will.

Having no will means someone will need to apply for letters of administration to settle your affairs - at a time when they'll be suffering grief at your passing.

You propose a copy and paste will, however such things are easy to get wrong, leaving your spouse, children... with a mess to clean up.

p00hsticks · 25 May at 10:35AM

Liberal said:

Hi. My wife and I need a will. We have 2 grown up children. Own our own house. No other wills. No complexities. Everything will be left to the 2 children. My issue is that I do not want to pay out hundreds to a solicitor for what is a straightforward document . Is there a simple site where I can just copy an existing will and change names and addresses? I thought this would be a simple thing to copy and paste. Has anyone done this and where did they find it? I know about the charity route but this still involves solicitors. Thanks

a) You each need a will
b) It is not true that intestacy rules will automatically leave everything to your children - that only works on the second death (assuming you are in England or Wales) most of the estate would go to the surviving spouse on the first death.
c) If you are leaving everything to the children, what about the surviving spouse ? If the property is held in joint names (as opposed to tenants in common) then it will automatically pass to the survivor regardless of any will, but are the finances split equally such that they will be able to support themselves after the first death ? If they were financially dependent on the deceased, leaving them out of the will would give grounds to contest it.

This is too important to leave to a cut and paste job - get it done properly.

p00hsticks · 25 May at 10:38AM

flaneurs_lobster said:

Do nothing. Under standard intestacy rules your estate will pass equally to your children on your deaths.

As I've said above, the intestacy rules would only work on the second death. There needs to be a will in place if everything is to be left to the children on the first death - although some thought needs to go into if that is really what is wanted as it could leave the surviving spouse high and dry.

Liberal · 25 May at 11:08AM

Sorry. I should have been clearer. We definitely need and want a will. When either myself or spouse dies the other to inherit. Then when both gone everything to the 2 children. So it is a simple will. I get scenarios where 1 of the kids die first but surely that's the same for everyone in the same situation? So there should be a standard will that I can adapt get signed by witnesses and then it's done. I just don't like the idea of a few hundred going to a solicitor for something that I think is straight forward. Maybe I'm naive but yet to be convinced. Thanks for comments.

Emmia · 25 May at 11:19AM

Liberal said:

Sorry. I should have been clearer. We definitely need and want a will. When either myself or spouse dies the other to inherit. Then when both gone everything to the 2 children. So it is a simple will. I get scenarios where 1 of the kids die first but surely that's the same for everyone in the same situation? So there should be a standard will that I can adapt get signed by witnesses and then it's done. I just don't like the idea of a few hundred going to a solicitor for something that I think is straight forward. Maybe I'm naive but yet to be convinced. Thanks for comments.

I have a simple will, drafted by a solicitor a couple of years ago to replace an earlier solicitor drafted will.

My latest will cost £250 in London. I love those I will leave enough that I got this sorted properly.

What exactly is your aversion to solicitors?

What does your spouse think? They can sort out their will entirely separately.

flaneurs_lobster · 25 May at 11:24AM

Emmia said:

What exactly is your aversion to solicitors?

Not specific to solicitors but presumably the OP has the same aversion as most subscribers to a Money Saving website - not wishing to spend more money than is necessary.

Emmia · 25 May at 11:28AM

flaneurs_lobster said:

Emmia said:

What exactly is your aversion to solicitors?

Not specific to solicitors but presumably the OP has the same aversion as most subscribers to a Money Saving website - not wishing to spend more money than is necessary.

But in this case a couple of hundred on the will is likely to save the OPs family money later on - which will come out of their estate.

Perhaps the OP is fine with that as they don't pay in life?

They also don't want a free solicitor drafted charity will - so my presumption is they have an issue with solicitors...

Liberal · 25 May at 11:44AM

I actually have no specific issue with solicitors if someone can tell me , in simple terms, why this can't be done without using 1. Surely other people have been in the exact same position so wills should basically be the same?

Misslayed · 25 May at 11:48AM

A solicitor will cover all the ‘what if’ scenarios, which are unlikely, but possible. For example - you die, wife inherits everything. Wife remarries but does not change her will. Wife dies, new husband gets everything, children get nothing. Something similar happened to my husband’s nephews, when their father died, second wife got everything, including his pension. They didn’t see a penny.