Collas Crill

Make a will your 2012 resolution

Wills and probate specialists Collas Crill are encouraging Jersey residents to make getting a will a priority in 2012.

As many as 70% of people in Jersey won't have a will if Islanders follow the national average.*

The Channel Islands law firm is offering a free talk in January to anyone who doesn't have a will, with the message that a will is vital, no matter what your age or income.

Advocate Clare Nicolle, who heads the Wills and Probate team at Collas Crill in Jersey, said: "The seminar, at St Paul's Centre on Friday 27 January at 1pm, is open to anyone who feels they need a bit more information before they have one drawn up."

Despite the risks associated with not having a will, a large number of Islanders still haven't got around to making one.

"We know there are many reasons why people put it off," said Advocate Nicolle. "Some people think they are too young, or that they don't have enough money to warrant one. Many people don't like to think about their will because it's associated with dying, and plenty just haven't thought about it.

"Yet without a will, strict legal principles will decide who will inherit your assets and people you want to benefit may not necessarily inherit from your estate."

Making a will is vital for anyone, but particularly those who
- are not married but living with someone
- are separated but not divorced
- have children, or step-children, or dependants who cannot care for themselves
- own all or part of a business

It is possible to write a will without the help of a lawyer, but Advocate Nicolle advises against it.

"While anyone can draft a will there are risks involved because of the legal formalities that must be complied with. If they are not, the will could be open to challenge and therefore cause problems for your family and friends after you die."

At the free talk at St Paul's Centre on Friday 27 January at 1pm, Advocate Nicolle and colleagues will outline the reasons why a will is essential and what could happen if you die intestate (without a will). They will also discuss how to go about getting a will, issues to consider when making a will, estate planning and reviewing a will.

* In National Write a Will week 2011 research published in the UK by unbiased.co.uk suggested that 30 million people in Britain don't have a will - about 70 per cent of the population. Similar figures aren't available locally.

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