Do you have a valid will? Yes? Great! If not, now is the best time to take care of the people you love the most.
With Wills Week around the corner*, we thought it would be a good idea to poke (more) holes in a couple of reasons we often hear for people not getting around to getting their will in place. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are three bad reasons for not having a will. If you feel called out, sorry not sorry — just click the button at the bottom of the post to arrange your free will with us.
*Seriously though, if you answered "No" above, you'll be delighted to discover that from 11 - 15 September we will (heh) draw up an airtight will for you for free, no strings attached. Get in touch with us below to find out more.
For more details on what a will entails and how to get one set up, check out our Legal 101 post on your will. In this article, we'll be addressing some of the most common reasons people avoid drafting a will. (Unsurprising spoiler alert: No excuse score higher than a 2 on our unquestionably accurate and not at all conceived-on-the-spot excuse-o-meter.)
Let’s jump right in!
1) I don’t own anything of value.
Excuse-o-meter score: 1 (Value is relative, unlike your relatives who have to deal with the fallout)
Having a lot of money or significant assets is not a prerequisite for you to have a will. Whether your car is worth R25 000 or R2.5 million, it’s still an asset in your estate and it can’t just chill in your garage forever. Regardless of the value of your estate, it must still be wound up.
Additionally, just because something won't make the lucky recipient rich, it doesn't mean it isn't valuable. Many bitter family feuds could have been avoided if, for example, Papa had just specified in his will who he felt would take the best care of his vast collection of left shoelaces.
Make it easier on your loved ones and make your wishes clear. How does it make it easier for them?
No wondering or guessing what your wishes would have been.
Less fighting about who gets what because they have your wishes in print.
You’ve (hopefully) nominated an executor in your will, which will lead to less uncertainty, less conflict and less admin for everyone (except you because thankfully, admin will never be an issue for you again.)
2) My spouse will inherit everything I own anyway, so what's the point of a will?
Excuse-o-meter score: 2 (Don't get stuck on the intestate of interminable government process)
🤓 NERD WORD ALERT: INTESTATE
Dying intestate means dying without a valid will in place.If you don't have a valid will when you die, your estate will be wound up in line with the Intestate Succession Act, and not the specific wishes that you put on paper. This means that while your spouse might inherit everything, there’s also a very real chance that they won’t. In other words, you don't get to choose who gets what. You also don't get to choose who's in charge of administering your estate, and you are at the government's mercy for how long it will take.
You know what you want to have happen with your estate when you pass, so why on earth would you not make it happen?
3) I don’t care what happens to my things when I’m gone.
Excuse-o-meter score: 1 (Your will looks after your people, not your things)
Okaaaaay, you don’t care about your things, but you do care about your people, right? As we've established above, if you don't have a will in place you increase the likelihood of adding additional stress to an already unpleasant time for them. It can place an immense administrative burden on your nearest and dearest, not to mention the need to find and appoint an executor. Getting your will in place is not just a smart move, but a compassionate one too.
With it being so easy and cheap (or free!) to execute a valid will, there really is no reason to risk not having one.
And that's a wrap. Remember:
Having a lot of money or assets is not a prerequisite for you to have a will.
Having a valid will will most probably save your loved ones a heck of a lot of trouble when you’re gone.
We are proud to be part of the Wills Week initiative from 11 - 15 September, which includes setting up your will completely free, no strings attached.
If you'd like to update your will or put one in place for the first time, click the button below to book a free consultation with us. We'd love to work with you.