making a will yourself

[answerbanker]

For a straightforward will has anyone used a DIY kit or online site which is recommendable please ? Thankyou

[boxtops]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Law/Question1190705.html#answer-7485104

[tenrec]

My building society are doing wills for nothing until end of November.

[answerbanker]

OOO - which Building Society ??

[tenrec]

I don't know whether I am allowed to say but it starts with Skip and ends with ton.

[tonywiltshire]

My suggestion would be not to make your own will however straight forward it may seem, consult a local Solicitor. The legal profession make a good deal of money out of DIY wills.

[dotty.]

they have a good market there apparently

[boxtops]

You can say, tenrec, it's not advertising.

[tenrec]

Thanks boxy. Also they encouraged me to pay for funeral in advance. Fixed price. Well I expect to live another 20 years all being well so the kids will get more if I pay now.

[Barmaid]

You can get a kit from WH Smith. However, in anything other than the simplest scenario things can go wrong - if you can get one free done by a bank or building society or under on of the free charity will schemes, please do so.

To all people who have never studied law:-

Consider this - Bill has no living relatives. He has a mate Sandra, to whom he is close he wants to leave her everything. He may have some distant cousins who he has never met. He leaves a Will in the following terms:

I Bill Smith

Revoke all former testamentary dispositions.

I appoint Jo Bloggs of Sue Bodgit and Scarper to be my executor and trustee

After the payment of my debts, funeral expenses and testamentary expenses I leave all my personal property to Sandra Jones of (address).

Signed etc.

[Barmaid]

So, tell me, is there anything wrong with that will?

[sunny-dave]

I guess that 'personal property' has a fairly tight legal definition and a house and or investments may not be included in it?

[baza]

my parents made out their own wills using W.H.Smiths forms, dad left everything to mum , mum left everything to the kids, luckily they spotted the error before either died as mum went first.

[answerbanker]

Thank you all

[Barmaid]

Sunny D - I won't say yet I'll answer tomorrow to see what others make of it.

[dzug2]

What happens if Jo Bloggs has left that firm of solicitors?. Retired, died, gone elsewhere.

What happens if Sandra predeceases Jo?

Has it been validly witnessed?

[Peter Pedant]

Oh God I wanna go
Not having done wills
There are two mistakes in the given do it yourself will

1) appointing Jo Bloggs of Sue etc an executor but not asking them to draw up the will. The beneficiary should have been named as executor

2) the words should be
the whole of my estate...........absolutely

Is this an example of a pre 1837 chattels will ?
I have often wondered what they looked like

[starone]

Just had mine done by a solicitor and it cost me £210. It is quite simple I have only a few bequests but the actual wording of the will is very complicated and includes lots of things I would never have thought of. I think it is best to get it done properly so that nothing is left to chance.

[woofgang]

We got some very good advice when we drew up our wills about adding an alternate beneficiary to ensure that our animals were taken care of. Again when DH died and I had to sort things, the bloke was very helpful and made it all much easier. He didn't take over as executor but did a lot of the things that i would have found difficult.

[buildersmate]

It isn't so long ago that the Which? organisation used to sell a little book called 'Wills and Probate'. They have stopped selling it now and instead offer this service at a fixed price of £89, or £149 for mirror wills
http://www.whichwills.com/

There are certain caveats about one having straightforward affairs, but this service operates by the output being checked by a suitably qualified person, but you may find it useful.

For those who believe that the Which? organisation consistently offers value-for-money consumer advice for the last 30 years, it could be useful.

[Ratty2E]

Barmaid, I imagine the mention of possible distant relatives was relevant. Any blood relatives would have some claim on the estate before the friend and presumably could contest the will.