5th September 2018

Selina Allen

Have you given much thought to what you want to leave behind when you depart this world?

For some people it's material items or certain amounts of money, for others it's memories and sentimental things. No matter what you want to leave behind though, the number one priority should first and foremost be your WILL. Always. 

I know, it isn't the nicest topic to think about passing away or the aftermath of the event but it IS an extremely important one that we all have to face sooner or later. As the saying goes - 'The only certainty in life is death'...we all die one day. At some point in our lives we are going to have to face that fact head on, and the sooner we do, the better off for those we leave behind.

One of the kindest things you can now do is leave instructions on how to close down your life a.k.a a Will, for those you love. 

Just imagine the heartache of losing someone close to you, perhaps a parent or sibling...and then on top of dealing with the insurmountable grief you are feeling, having to sort out their affairs such as - 

• health insurance
  
• pets
• donor info
• investments and assets
• children and guardianship
• bank accounts
• retirement funds
• memberships
• mortgage 
• utilities
• trusts
• social media
• funeral insurance

As you can see, it's already a pretty big list already and that's not everything! 

Sure, we won't be around to deal with anything after we've passed away, but we can and SHOULD make sure we deal with it beforehand, so that when the time does come...the 'closing down life' phase can be as stress free and simple as possible for those who do end up sorting it out. Although it will never be a pleasant task for our loved ones, we have the power to at least minimise the chaos somewhat.

"When you are in your 30s you think you are pretty untouchable. It is not something you think about." - Amanda Wilton-Skinner

Everyone, regardless of whether they have a LifeLot account or not NEEDS to have a will. Even if you think you are "too young", you aren't. Anything can happen at anytime and we need to make sure that we are as prepared as possible. This doesn't mean that we are being negative or a worry-wort, in fact quite the opposite. By facing death and being semi prepared for it, (who can say they are ever FULLY prepared for death?!) we can live more freely and without as much fear.

Interestingly, there was an article published by the NZ Herald recently about this subject also proving that age or good health is NOT a reason to not have a will.

Read the article on the NZ Herald website  - Young widow's tale: No Will, no Money. 

Another reason that people put off getting their will sorted is because they think it will cost a lot of money. I'll admit that I originally thought this myself! To make it easy, LifeLot have put together a handy Will Questionnaire Template which can help save you time and therefore money. All you need to do is take the completed questionnaire to your lawyer to be signed and finalised. This document can then be uploaded to your account for easy access if and when it is needed.

If you don't have a lawyer, we have a list of preferred lawyers who will give a special rate when LifeLot is mentioned. 

Not only is preparing this information an incredible gift for your loved ones, you may find it helps to bring you some peace by knowing you've provided critical information and choices for your loved ones when you've gone.

Think of your Will as your final message to your loved ones, ensuring they know everything that you want and need them to. 

Related: Legal | Estate Planning For Different Life Stages | Enduring Powers Of Attorney