It’s true, since the introduction of COVID-19 a lot more people are exiting the world. You might think that this would be an excellent time for online will makers. But statistics show otherwise. Will making is not only not up – it is actually significantly down. How to explain this unexpected turn of events? It […]
Category: Last Will and Testament
A vision for 2020
Some of you may claim to have a vision for 2020 and maybe you do or maybe you just like the sound of it. But in reality no one can see into the future and no one can predict what kind of crazyness life is going to throw at you. So just try to remember […]
Choosing your Executor
The executor is the person (persons or organisation) that has to do all the heavy lifting with regards to fulfilling your Last Will and Testament. An Executrix is not as exciting as it sounds, it is simply a female executor. Note that in New Zealand they, very sensibly, call executors and executrices Personal Representatives. This […]
Where to keep your Last Will and Testament.
Okay so you have written your Will, you have got it signed and witnessed as per the instructions. Now what are you going to do with it? Obviously it needs to be kept somewhere where it will be safe and somewhere it can be found. Perhaps you have a fireproof safe, that would be a […]
Update your Will after Christmas.
Ahh Christmas Holidays at time of good cheer and family reunions. At least that is what they would have you believe. Of course in reality it is a time of much anger and resentment, often fuelled by alcohol and poorly chosen gifts. Definitely a time when you might consider re-doing your Last Will and Testament. […]
What not to put in your Will.
A lot of people don’t realise or understand that a Last Will and Testament is usually read AFTER the funeral. So including a lot of detail about how you’d like to be buried under the old apple tree, or have your ashes scattered from the Eiffel Tower, may be discovered too late to be effective. […]
When is a Will not a Will?
What makes a Will a legal document? How can you turn a few words on a napkin into a Last Will and Testament? Why can’t I keep my Will on my phone? These are all intriguing questions that have dogged people throughout the ages. Well perhaps I am exaggerating, most people probably don’t give a […]
Equality or Equalisation?
To be Fair or Wise? That is the question. So lets say you have a couple of children, one works hard and has been very successful in life. They are married with a couple of kids are well on the way to paying off their mortgage. The other is more of a “free spirit” they […]
In Death try to be Courteous
It can pay to be polite on the way to the afterlife. Quite a number of us live in couples. And quite a number of those couples have children. A normal happy family will see the couples making similar Wills – often called Mirror Wills. Something along the lines of … if I go first […]
Cut someone from your Will
Your first born has disgraced the family and run off with someone inappropriate. How can you make sure they don’t get any of your fabulous chattels? Well of course the first step is to write a will leaving them nothing. But in some jurisdictions they could challenge that Will (your Will!), and if a court […]