Hi there,
First time posting a deal.
I got an email from my uni today saying that Safewill is offering free wills from the 20-26 march.
Seems like a good idea for those who have assets/property/children and haven't put down in words what they want done after they pass.
:)
Edit: you can start it now and then submit it through the promotional period!
Referees get 20%. Referrers get $10 (Up to $50 Max).
Thank you heaps. Is keeping the will at home as good as registering it with solicitors/ safewill people, I still am not sure how do people get to know that person who is dead has left a will secretly or not? Is their any government process which searches through all records to see if any will is left by the deceased anywhere?
Leave copies with your kids/siblings/parents. And if you make any updates, make sure you update them, too. Emailing certified copies would also help.
@sam-1966: Distribute certified copies of the Will.
Legally, email copies won't (likely) be accepted by Courts.
Similarly, an emailed copy of a certified copy is not useful - it's not an original certified copy!
They're only useful to view a copy of a Will.
I don't know enough to answer your question - hopefully someone else can reply?
I guess it depends on your circumstances (as you mention wanting to store it secretly?)
I have heard its fine to keep it yourself but you should tell people you know and trust where it is as they need to find it when you die.
Is their any government process which searches through all records to see if any will is left by the deceased anywhere?
Not exactly.
The Court process to check on latest Will etc is PROBATE.
It costs & takes time! You can do most of it yourself, minimising costs.
(I've avoided it in executing all family Wills. So only have vague understanding )
As I understand it… The process is it advertises in a legal publication. (For any later copies of the Will, etc.)
Thats why solicitors usually hold onto Wills & someone in their office checks the notices.
If there is no issue with the Will after a period of time, the Will is accepted.
The Executor can then act on the instructions in the Will, banks etc will allow transfer of larger amounts of money for distribution.
Its State based - so varies. Google Probate
So if you do your own Will - no one will likely know. Or know it's the latest copy. There's no way to check.
So make sure its existence & location is at the very least known to your Executor!
Distribute certified copies of the Will - possibly to beneficiaries.
I was the one in my extended family to hold copies of most Wills.
So make sure its existence & location is at the very least known to your Executor!
It seems like it is okay for the appointed executor of your will to be a beneficiary at the same time, e.g. a trusted family member.
But it could lead to potential conflict of interest.
@DoctorCalculon: Yes, the Executor can be a beneficiary.
I've been both in a Will.
[As the least money hungry in the extended family, I often took on the trusted role of financial manager & Executor.
I also handled all Estate matters & assisted in the process leading up to & after the person's death.]
With distribution of Estate, you need to hope any Executor will be trustworthy. With money, it can be tempting.
The Court can be called on to decide that by the other beneficiaries who dispute that. The Estate pays the costs.
In my experience, the wealthiest may be the least trustworthy as Executor. So carefully consider who should be Executor.
More than 1 Executor may be appointed. Theoretically all beneficiaries could be co-Executors. But that could create conflict.
Could appoint a descending list of Executors, in case 1 is unable or unwilling to be Executor. Saves rewriting or modifying the Will.
Same with beneficiaries - the first may have predeceased, passing onto the next in the list all of the Estate. And variations on that.
In the case of a beneficiary listed in the Will no longer alive, the Executor may need to show proof they have died (Death Certificate).
Turned up to bank as Executor only to have them refuse to allow access to funds until the first mentioned beneficiary was proven to be dead. Hadn't considered that. Returned with Death Certificate - funds were released for distribution
Not a lawyer!
There seems to be some hestation about how good this will is going to be deending upon your situation & wishes.
Would it be feasible to use this free offer & generate a will as an exercise to see if you are happy with the result, perhaps just using it to get a feel for the information required & decisions to me made. This would make you more informed and knowledgable & perhaps help gather all of your thoughts before you see a lawyer to have it done properly.
I presume this free will service wouldn't be valid if you go through with it but decide not the get it signed?
Completed my will with Safewill but still haven't received any notification that it has been reviewed. How do my loved ones access my will?
My guess is - if you want to use safewill or have any updates in the future then yes you have to basically pay the $15/year.
But if you want to get it "free" then just do it all, agree to the $0 for first year, then as soon as you have had them review it you print and store your own copy (making sure someone knows where it is should something happen to you) and you cancel their $15 ongoing subscription service. And that will would be valid until you decide to write a new one with whatever company you want in the future.
If you get a will through a normal solicitor then usually they will store the will for free for you (but you paid them for their service and will likely pay them again when you want to update or change it, and they expect they will likely get a lot of money should they ever get asked to act on your will if you die. Though some may also charge for holding it).