Ever since I was told I was going to die sooner than I had planned, also known as being diagnosed with incurable cancer, I’ve steered clear of making big purchases.
I haven’t bought the music system I had been considering since 2021 and I haven’t pressed “buy” on a slightly different size dining plate set than the one I already have.
With the stats showing that only 11 percent of people with my type of bowel cancer live for longer than five years, I’m trying to make life as simple as possible for people after I’m gone by reducing the number of things they will have to take to the charity shop or put on eBay.
Another thing I have done, which will make life much simpler after I have departed this planet, is to write a Will.
It’s something I had thought about for several years but back in the olden days, I didn’t want to think about it because it seemed too close to accepting I was going to die.
Nowadays I think of it as an essential thing that everyone should have because it will make things much simpler for everyone left behind.
If you die without leaving a Will then it is considered that you have died “intestate” and only your spouse or civil partner and close relatives can inherit. You’re then relying on them to think about what you would have wanted to happen, instead of having all your wishes clearly written down in a legal document.
I had a Will years ago but it wasn’t legal in any way as it was just a piece of paper where I’d written what I wanted to happen with my, not very much, money and some of my possessions.
The one I have now is actually legal and is a lot simpler than the original version.
I chose to go to Amphlett Lissimore in Crystal Palace, South London, not just because I wanted to try the ice cream shop nearby (sadly the ice cream place was closed on both occasions when I went to the solicitor for my will).
The main proper reasons for my choice were because it’s good to use a reputable company that isn’t set to fold anytime soon, and because the Bromley branch had been very good when I used them for conveyancing several years ago.
There are a few companies online where you can do a video call about your Will and they’ll send you your documents through the post.
Some of them are probably fine but I would have been worried about whether the one I’d chosen would still be around in future years, would the Will be legal and would I be able to change my wishes easily if my circumstances change in the future.
I know that because Amphlett Lissimore is a big London firm my Will executors will be able to visit the offices to sort out my affairs and will, hopefully, also be able to enjoy an ice cream at the shop nearby if it is still open.
So my best suggestion is to ask your friends and family for recommendations about which firm did their Wills. And if they haven’t got one then it might spark a conversation about the need to have one.
Another reason to choose a firm you trust is because the solicitors will help you sort out issues you hadn’t thought about.
For me, it was the artwork in my flat that I had wanted to leave to my doctors who have both helped me get through some tough times. I think of it as a survival piece, which might go up in value one day.
My plan was to split it between both of my GPs until my solicitor flagged the issue that it’s not possible to divide one piece of art into two.
If I had decided to leave it to the surgery then I’d run the risk that it would be on the wall after they had gone on to jobs elsewhere, or consigned to a cupboard.
It’s an artwork that a friend describes as “white girl Ibiza trash art” so there’s a massive chance that both of them would hate it anyway and not want it.
The solution my solicitor helped me come up with is one that will be much easier for the executors of my will to manage and a better one for my GPs.
But what it is will remain a secret until after my death because only I, my solicitor, and Smarties, have the answer.
