If you were me would you have a will ?

"Bod" wrote

They justify it in their exhorbitant fees.

John.

"Adrian" wrote

I exceuted my late father's will and my time totalled about twelve hours. I was told that the bank would have charged around 2k for what I did for nothing.

John.

In article , John Turner wrote: [ ... ]

You've obviously never seen a family that doesn't get along with each other. That's where some of the absolute worst fighting over division of an estate can occur. In those cases, an outside executor is a really good idea. Doesn't always work, though; lawsuits against the executor or the estate are used by unhappy inheritors quite frequently, trying to get what they want.

Gary

"Gary Heston" wrote

But one would assume that this would be taken into account when the will was drawn up. Under those circumstances I'd most definitely be ensuring that MY wishes were made perfectly clear.

John.

John Turner wrote

The most obvious potential conflict of interest is when the executor is just one of the beneficiarys.

Not that I think that that is a good reason for them not to be a beneficiary, particularly with a very simple estate like his where it makes sense to minimise the capacity of 'professionals' to leech on the estate.

John Turner wrote

That's where some of the absolute worst

drawn up. Under those circumstances I'd

Sure, but not everyone can do that. He clearly didnt consider what happens if they all die in the same accident etc.

Even just a very clear and unambiguous will does not ensure that there wont be a legal shit fight over the distribution, if the executor doesnt do exactly what the will says or one of the beneficiarys like say the son in this situation decides that he doesnt like what the will explicitly says and attempts to get the legal system to deliver what he wants instead. Shit happens.

If you don't like paying money to a solicitor, there is a "Will Aid" scheme in which some solicitors participate where you make a donation to a charity instead. It only operates at certain times of the year -- Google indicates that the next period will be November 2010.

I concur with not appointing a solicitor or bank as executor. My mother appointed the bank who charged a fortune and took a year to sell the house (using their own estate agent subsidiary) at a time when it was a seller's market.

Chris

My parents executed my mom's brother's will, and it lasted for months, required travel and a nontrivial amount of out of pocket expense.