The Top 7 Excuses for Not Making a Will

• ‘I’ll be dead anyway. Why should I worry?’
• ‘I’m superstitious if I make a Will I’ll probably die!’
• ‘Everything will go to my family anyway. Let them fight over it!’
• ‘I’m too busy to think about it at the moment.’
• ‘I’m too young to worry about making a Will.’
• ‘I don’t have anything to leave to anyone!’
• ‘I can’t afford it!’

I once had a gentleman say this to me in front of his wife. She was flabbergasted at her husband’s comment and proceeded to point out to him what a mess he’d leave behind for her and her children to sort out if their Wills were not written.

She also reminded him that perhaps she should take the same attitude as, of course, she could pass away before him and leave him with a mess to deal with.

This brought him to his senses almost immediately, suddenly realising that it may be him with the big problem.

I have never had a client die as a result of making their Will.

Sadly, we have had clients who made Wills because of terminal illness. These brave souls are to be congratulated for ensuring their affairs are in order for the peace of mind of their families.

There are many thousands of ‘superstitions’ people swear by, from Friday the 13^th and walking under a ladder to breaking a mirror, opening an umbrella inside the house, and putting your shoes on the table (that’s just filthy!)

But worrying that making a Will somehow may hasten your death is downright silly

Chances are that the family will fight over your estate if there is no Will in place.

Without a Will, uncertainty prevails and leaves the door open for family arguments and possible claims on your estate by people you may not wish to leave anything to, not to mention the general confusion amongst the family left behind.

This book is not the place to add literally hundreds of pages of ‘Intestacy’ rules for every country that has them.

We have touched on them in chapter one.

Please take my word for it:

If you don’t make a Will (in most countries) the GOVERNMENT will make one for you!

Hence the common gift shop item – a plate with ‘a round tuit’ on it!

Life is busy! For many, it is just too busy to take care of the most important things.

It can take as little as 10 minutes to make an online Will (not that I am suggesting everyone should make their Wills online – more on this in a later chapter.)

It can take as little as an initial 30 minute meeting with a 15 minute follow up at a lawyers or an attorney’s office to sign the documents to get this important matter done to protect your wealth and your family.

The youngest client for whom we created a Will for was just 18! His parents had set aside some money for him to inherit at the age of 18 and were insistent he protect both the money and them, in the event of his unlikely early passing.

It is never too early to make a Will. Years ago, servicemen as young as 18 were made to sign a one page Will when they joined the services in the event they met with an untimely death.

Nowadays, our younger generation are more affluent than in years gone by. Some buy property in their 20s, have children in their teens, amass money from savings, and start a business or inherit one from a relative.

Once a Will is in place, it can be amended to reflect life’s changes as they occur, but it’s never too early to protect your loved ones.

Do you have few assets and believe that dying without a Will won’t adversely affect your family? Many hardworking people do! Some even joke, “I’m worth more dead than alive”. But think about it – life insurance, property, superannuation or pension benefits, work-related death benefits, and a possible future inheritance all add up to assets that we cannot physically see or spend right now…yet they are there.

If this is your excuse, please ensure you evaluate what you are worth if you should die before assuming you’re not worth enough to make a Will.

During times of extreme financial hardship, making a Will may seem like the last thing to spend money on. But it is worth investigating whether you need one before discounting this altogether. Throughout this book, we’ll compare different methods for drawing up a Will, so you can make an informed decision.

Finally it is always best to seek professional advice when preparing a Will document for yourself and your family. If you can’t get to a lawyer’s office, you can still get your Will made. Home visit companies, like Willcraft, are operating in many countries, States and territories. Willcraft sends a representative to you, at home or at work, for the initial consultation, ad even after normal hours if necessary.