Wills Month
As part of Wills Month, we’re introducing you to some of the people at Armstrong Murray who help our clients plan for the future.
Jackie Cross is a Principal at Armstrong Murray and has been part of our team for more than 30 years. During that time, she has helped generations of clients with their wills and estate planning. Jackie has seen first-hand just how easy it can be to put making a will into the “I’ll get around to it” basket
With more than three decades of experience, Jackie has heard plenty of misconceptions about wills along the way. So, we sat down with her to talk about some of the things she hears most often from clients and the one piece of advice that she wishes everyone would follow.
Talking wills with Jackie
Jackie, what are the most common misconceptions you hear about wills?
There are probably two that I hear most often.
The first is “wills are for older people.” The reality is that a will can be important at any stage of adult life, particularly as our relationships, families and financial circumstances change.
The other is “My family know what I want.” They may well have a good understanding of what you would like to happen, but that doesn’t necessarily mean those wishes can be carried out. Having a properly prepared will helps ensure your wishes are recorded and can provide greater certainty for those you leave behind.
After all your years of experience, what is the one piece of advice you wish everyone would follow?
Once you start the process of making your will, see it through to completion.
We often have clients who recognise the importance of having a will and provide us with their instructions, but for one reason or another don’t complete the process.
Sometimes it’s because they haven’t quite decided who to appoint as their executor, or they’re unsure exactly how they want to distribute their estate.
My advice is not to let those decisions put you off. Your will doesn’t have to remain unchanged forever. We recommend reviewing it from time to time and updating it as your life and circumstances change.
The important thing is to get it completed.
Thinking about making or reviewing your will?
Wills Month is a good opportunity to check that your will still reflects what matters to you.
If you don’t have one, or it’s been a while since you last looked at it, now could be the right time to revisit it. If you’d like to talk about your will, please get in touch with Jackie Cross or our wills and estates team.
This article is brief and general in nature. You should not treat it as legal advice and should seek professional advice before taking any action in relation to the matters dealt with in this post. Armstrong Murray accepts no liability for losses suffered by any person or organisation who may rely directly or indirectly on this article.
