There comes a time in our lives where we have to start thinking about writing an official Will. Your will outlines your wishes for what you want to happen to your assets when you pass on. 

Some people start to think about writing their will when they have a family as it helps to ensure that their next of kin are well looked after. However, even if you have no close family, will writing is important so you get a say about what happens to your money and assets when you die. Navigating and understanding the legal side of will writing can be complicated so you should consider speaking with the Solicitors about it all.  They can best advise you on what to do and talk you through some of the legal language that may be difficult to understand. 

When writing your will, you want to make sure that there are no mistakes or ambiguity as they can cause disputes when the will is read. 

Talking to your family about your will can be challenging, so here is a guide to discussing your will with your relatives.

Plan the time to talk 

Talking to loved ones about death can be difficult and some of them may feel uncomfortable or sad thinking about life after you’ve gone. But planning the time to talk to them about it will make the conversation seem less off the cuff and they can prepare any questions to ask, as well as themselves emotionally for the difficult conversation. 

Explain to them what you want to achieve 

During that talk, explain that there are reasons for the legacies you want to leave. This will help your family to understand your perspective, as well as giving them an idea about what to expect before you go into detail. You should explain your key priorities such as helping a charity close to your heart.

Use phrases such as “Samuel will need extra support in the future, so my estate will go towards his care”. Your loved ones will respect your will when they know for sure that you have a specific plan in place. 

Ask for input 

Family members will have specific expectations about your will, and you may want to ask them to be open about them so you can understand them. While your distribution is ultimately your decision, others may have some idea as to how to look after loved ones that you might not have thought about. They may also have some sentimental objects that they wish to be left that you may not have previously been aware of. 

Emphasize the “for now” nature of your will 

Things may change between the time of your conversation about your will and the end of your life. Things like new additions to the family, relationship changes and death could change the circumstances of your family significantly which means your wishes may well change. 

When circumstances change, so can your will. Speak to your family about how you will review and reassess things when they do. It is also important that they know where your will is kept so they can access it quickly when the time comes.

Family relationships can be complicated and difficult conversations like this can be particularly challenging to navigate. 

Remember to be as tactful as you can throughout the conversation to make sure that everybody is heard, yourself most importantly. 

(collaborative post)