Where there's a Will...
20/02/09
Where there's a Will...
Friday 20th February 2009
Wills have been with us since Plato wrote the first recorded one in 348BC and perhaps there has been less change in Wills than in many areas of law although history is littered with wonderful wills
Did you know?
The shortest will in England was made in 1906, and said “All to Mother”.
- The shortest will in England was made in 1906, and said “All to Mother”.
- The longest, made by Major-General Martin in 1800 was 155 pages long.
- Wills have been made on wood, eggshells, underwear, a stepladder and the back of a Christmas card
- Shakespeare’s will after a poetic start provided: “Item I give unto my Wife my second best bed with furniture” The furniture was the bedding!
- Mrs Amy Bachman, an American, left $600,000 as a memorial fund for her terrier, Bingo. Cats also do remarkably well.
- In 1749, General Henry Hawley poured scorn on his family and finished his will with: “I have written this with my own hand because I hate priests of all professions and have the worst opinion of all members of the law”.
- Edward 1 is reputed to have provided that his body be boiled down, and his bones carried in a box into every battle with the Scots!
- Recent wills have requested scattering on a Greyhound track and burial in a blue Ferrari
- A tycoon in Bermuda who was equally keen on his three nieces decreed they should roll dice to see who inherited the whole estate
- Leo Tolstoy bequeathed his possessions to the stump of a tree
With so many weird and wonderful wills written it is important to take professional advice to save your loved ones from the heartache of a lengthy court action and to ensure your intentions are clear and will be followed after your death.
You can use a Will in a variety of ways, for example to;
- nominate an executor(s) to carry out your wishes and deal with your affairs after death.
- appoint guardians for your children – vitally important if there is likely to be any disagreement as to who should bring them up.
- give legacies to charities or to kind friends.
- express thanks to those that have been kind or helpful to you during life.
- provide for family treasures to go to those who will look after them.
- ensure that your main assets go to those that you wish to benefit and avoid the difficulty caused by making an assumption as to the effect of the law which is incorrect. For instance believing that a person brought up by you is included in the definition of “child” in your will, even if they were not adopted by you, or the position of step-children as part of the family.
Think through what you want to achieve by your will. Consider the balance between gifts of specific amounts of cash and the gift of “everything else”. Talk to you family to explain your reasons if you wish, but always talk to a solicitor. They can discuss all the options available, including ways of reducing tax. Whatever you do, do not delay!
This article cannot be relied upon in any particular case. We have been writing Wills since 1835 and have the experience to help you get your intentions clear and easily understood and to ensure your last wishes are carried out.
If you contact the probate department at our Stroud office on 01453 847200 or at our Nailsworth office on 01453 832566 to arrange an appointment with one of our solicitors to make a will before the end of March 2009 you will get 10% off just for mentioning this article.