‘I’ll be dead anyway. Why should I worry?’
‘I’m superstitious – if I make a Will I’ll probably die!’
‘Everything will go to my family anyway. Let them fight over it!’
‘I’m too busy to think about it at the moment.’
‘I’m too young to worry about making a Will.’
‘I don’t have anything to leave to anyone!’
‘I can’t afford it!’

Excuse #1 – ‘I’ll be dead anyway. Why should I worry?’
I once had a gentleman say this to me in front of his wife. She was flabbergasted at her husband’s comment and proceeded to point out to him what a mess he’d leave behind for her and her children to sort out if their Wills were not written.

She also reminded him that perhaps she should take the same attitude as, of course, she could pass away before him and leave him with a mess to deal with.

This brought him to his senses almost immediately, suddenly realising that it may be him with the big problem.

Excuse #2 – ‘I’m superstitious – if I make a Will I’ll probably die!’
Clients have never died as a result of making their Will.

Sadly, we have had clients who made Wills because of terminal illness. These brave souls are to be congratulated for ensuring their affairs are in order for the peace of mind of their families.

There are many superstitions people swear by; from Friday the 13th and walking under a ladder to breaking a mirror, opening an umbrella inside the house, and putting your shoes on the table!

But worrying that making a Will somehow may hasten your death is downright silly

Excuse #3 – ‘Everything will go to my family anyway. Let them fight over it!’
Chances are that the family will fight over your estate if there is no Will in place.

Without a Will, uncertainty prevails and leaves the door open for family arguments and possible claims on your estate by people you may not wish to leave anything to, not to mention the general confusion amongst the family left behind.

Under Western Australian law, if you don’t have a legal Will when you die, you are considered to have died “intestate” and ‘the rules of intestacy’ determine how your estate will be divided. This means that the law decides who your beneficiaries are and how your estate is divided, even if a friend or relative is appointed as the administrator of your estate.  When a person dies intestate, the person looking after and dividing the deceased estate is called an administrator.  In a Will, this person is called an executor. 

Please take our word for it:

If you don’t have a Will the law will decide who gets your estate – and it might not be who you would want.

Excuse #4 – ‘I’m too busy to think about it at the moment!’

Life is busy! For many, it is just too busy to take care of the most important things; matters that might be put aside until you can ‘get around to it’.

All it takes to get the process started is an initial meeting with one of our representatives who collect your information – in the comfort of your own home.   Follow up phone calls and meeting with the lawyer will then see your Will drafted.  Homevisitwills can help get this important matter done quickly and conveniently for you – and give you peace of mind.

Excuse #5 – ‘I’m too young to worry about making a Will!’
The youngest client for whom we created a Will was just 18! His parents had set aside some money for him to inherit at the age of 18 and were insistent that he protect both them and the money, in the event of his unlikely early passing.

It is never too early to make a Will. Years ago, servicemen as young as 18 were made to sign a one page Will when they joined the services in the event they met with an untimely death.

Nowadays, our younger generation are more affluent than in years gone by. Some buy property in their 20s, amass money from savings, and start a business or inherit one from a relative.

Once a Will is in place, it can be amended to reflect life’s changes as they occur but it’s never too early to protect your loved ones.

Excuse #6 – ‘I don’t have anything to leave to anyone!’
Do you have few assets and believe that dying without a Will won’t adversely affect your family? Many hardworking people do! Some even joke, “I’m worth more dead than alive”. But think about it – life insurance, property, superannuation or pension benefits, work-related death benefits, and a possible future inheritance all add up to assets that we cannot physically see or spend right now – yet they are there.

If this is your excuse, please ensure you evaluate what you are worth if you should die before assuming you’re not worth enough to make a Will.

Excuse #7 – ‘I can’t afford it!’
During times of extreme financial hardship, making a Will may seem like the last thing on which to spend money. But it is worth investigating whether you need one before discounting this altogether.

It is always best to seek professional advice when preparing a Will document for yourself and your family. Homevisitwills sends a representative to you, at home or at work, for an initial consultation to capture key information for your Will – consultations can be after normal hours if necessary.  Lawyers then prepare a Will for you and you can ask the lawyer for specific legal advice.  This doesn’t have to be an expensive process and Homevisitwills has several Will packages to choose from with fixed prices and no hidden fees.