You are going to die! Go out smiling
The law is not black and white. There are many shades of grey - possibly more than fifty. But one thing we do know for sure - we are all going to kick the bucket at some stage! When that happens, do you know what is going to happen to all your things? I know, you won't be here so why worry about it, right? Well, I hope you lose sleep over it. Because if your Will is not current you are basically leaving it to chance. Do you really want someone else to decide? Do you really want loved ones to have a scrap when you've gone? Your ears will be burning! Putting a Will together that ticks all the boxes in your life can be simple or it can take some thought. For example: - are you a "blended" family? I think the word is "nuclear", and trust me, there will be a nuclear war going on when you've signed out if you haven't thought about this. Partner number two v the kids. It's not looking pretty. - are you holding assets in a family trust? Have you told the Trustees of the Trust what you want to happen if you die? Who actually is the Trustee of the Trust once you're gone? - is one of your children disabled in some way? Come on! Someone has to take some responsibility here. - have you provided for one of your children during your lifetime but not the others? How are you going to square that up? - is one of your children in a relationship that looks "shaky"? Most people have some confidence in their own kids but not necessarily who they shack up with. Don't let all your hard work go to waste by exposing your kids to "relationship risk" if you fall off your perch. - Is there someone who you actually want to leave out? Sometimes there is, and for good reason. And who knows, they might just suddenly show up for the first time in years just after you pop your clogs. Make sure you cover this.
These are some of the questions that might influence how you set up your Will. It is a very important document. Not a throw-away document.
Queenstown Law is offering you a free half-hour session online. We can talk about questions like these and come up with a Will that fits your particular circumstances. This offer will be available for the month of July 2023 whether you are a current client of Queenstown Law (or whether you are about to become one). Now is the time to take action.
Please email Russell on russell@queenstownlaw.co.nz or Claire at claire@queenstownlaw.co.nz to get this underway. You'll sleep better once you've got it done.