Loved Ones – How should you tell them about your death? Death is a difficult and emotive subject. There is a clear need to think about the best way to tell your loved ones about what happened when the time comes. In her latest article, Laura Richardson gives us all some food for thought . . .
Traditionally a death is announced in a local newspaper in the form of a notice or obituary. In this way, those people who are not in regular contact with the family or friends of the deceased can be notified of their death. However, it is not uncommon to have friends, family and acquaintances who live in other parts of the country, or even across the globe. How then can you ensure that all of your friends and family would be notified in the event of your death? One way in which you can make sure that your farthest friends and family are informed upon the event of your death would be to include a list of those people to be stored alongside your Will. By storing your list of people who you would like to be personally informed of your death with your Will, the list is easily accessible upon your death. You may also wish to include a Letter of Wishes with your Will, in which you can record some personal messages, special instructions, or other important final requests. There is no legal requirement to include a Letter of Wishes with your Will, nor are there any legal requirements for the contents of a Letter of Wishes. This means that you can record any number of personal messages to any number of chosen people. It may be helpful to include a last known address of anyone included in your list of those to be notified or your Letter of Wishes in order to assist those who deal with your Estate to track down the necessary recipients. Another way in which you may consider that your loved ones are notified after your death, is by way of social media. Should you wish, you could suggest that a notice of your death is shared on any number of social media sites, or you could even consider writing a personal message to be posted on a social media site to posthumously announce your death.
The most important thing to remember is that to ensure that your wishes are legally binding they must be recorded within a valid Will. A Letter of Wishes or any other informal letters or documents which are stored with your Will are not legally binding and therefore only act as a guide for your loved ones once you are gone. If you would like to discuss the contents of your Will, or safe storage for your Will and any associated informal documents, contact Andrew Douglas Wills and Legal Services today. We offer a free initial consultation in which we can discuss your requirements and answer your initial queries. Whether in Halstead, or the surrounding areas of Essex, contact Andrew Douglas Wills and Legal Services today.
If you would like to keep up with our latest posts and advice about estate planning through the regular advice that we provide to our clients in this regard, then please also feel free to –
Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ADouglasWills.
Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AndrewDouglasWills.
