Simple Will writing Guide

The simple guide to writing a will and keeping your loved ones happy ☺️

Can you please everyone? 🙇

Here are a few hints and tips to help you get started. 🎬

"First, list your assets 🏡, write a rough draft ✍️of your beneficiaries, or talk to someone you trust.

However you get going, just start. It will feel as if a weight has lifted", Vicky Reynal says.

“Not thinking about things doesn't make them go away, so avoidance of will-writing is not only leaving the emotional issues we are avoiding unaddressed, but on top of it we have to sit with the semi-conscious anxiety about knowing we'd be in a better place having a will.” And if there are difficult relationships to think through or questions around fairness, tackle the easier aspects first, she adds. “Talking with someone you trust might open your mind and give you ideas about how to deal with the areas of your will you’re most uncertain about.”  🗣️

Be true to your own value system

Think about “what you care about and what you want your life to reflect,” Nova Cobban says. “That looks different for everybody. You might do something less traditional, such as leaving money for a specific experience, for example.” Others might bequeath a gift to a charity - research has found 44 per cent of those born between 1967 and 1996 are planning to leave a legacy gift in their will. 

“Will writing is an opportunity to think about the legacy we want to leave,” Ms Reynal adds. “It’s an opportunity to express gratitude to people that have meant something to us in life, or to contribute to causes that might have significance to us and which help give meaning to the hard work we invested in accumulating our inheritance ❤️❤️❤️

It’s a way of, at least in our minds, engaging with the immortality of what we allow to live on.” 

Treat yourself with compassion

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of if your financial situation isn’t what you’d hoped it would be at this stage in your life”, Ms Cobban says. “Remember you still have things to pass on like your knowledge and values, and you still have lots of achievements and things that went well in life. Remind yourself compassionately that we all have things we regret, and that we have the chance to explain and get support.” It might be a good idea to speak to a counsellor or therapist to help you work through some of these thoughts, she adds, or you might wish to put it in a letter. 

Find the right time for discussions with family.

While some may be tempted to avoid discussing their thought process with family, both Ms Cobban and Ms Reynal agree that it’s best to tackle it now, at the right moment. “If you’re trying to do it at a time when you or someone else is feeling emotional about it, or there’s something else going on, that’s not the right time,” Ms Cobban says. “I always suggest to people that they have those conversations while they're out for a walk or in the car. There's an intensity to having to look somebody in the eye and talk about something. And if you’re walking, you're processing information more easily, because you're moving your body.”

Be reassured that it’s not set in stone

Wills are important but they can be changed, Ms Cobban adds. “Sometimes that’s helpful for people struggling to start. But always do it when you're in a good place emotionally and not in reaction to something else going on. Above all, don’t feel pressured to rush into it or do it according to someone else’s wishes. Just take your time.”

credit The Telegraph

If you need help or advice please call 01458 555013 today for a free home visit 🥰 I look forward to speaking to you 💕

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