Emma Beddington's article in the Guardian on making a Will makes an important point in a light hearted way. The loss of someone you love is horrific, and yet at the same time that people are grieving, there are so many practical tasks connected with someone's death that have to be dealt with - registering the death, funeral arrangements, obtaining probate, working out whether there is any tax to pay.
Anything that someone can do to make those tasks easier for their loved ones is worth doing, and one thing you can do is to make a Will setting out your wishes for what should happen to your property following your death.
As well as thinking about what you own and who you would like to receive it, you should also think about (and write down) the practical points that will make your family's life easier in those first few days and weeks. For example, what arrangements would you like for your funeral, would you prefer to be buried or cremated, are there any hymns or favourite songs you would like played, or prayers or poems read? Make a list of your bank and building society accounts (including online accounts), any investments you own, and where you keep your important documents, and keep this in the same place as your Will. Tell someone where this is.
Think also about your digital assets and ensure they are included in your Will and that you draw up a securely-stored record of relevant details including passwords and other access information. Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies are much talked about at the moment due to the recent rise in their values, but there are plenty of other digital assets with financial value, such as Paypal and online bank accounts, as well as those with sentimental value. For example, your photographs are likely to be particularly important to your family, and finding somewhere that you can save them that is accessible by everyone you would wish to share them with will ensure that they are able to enjoy them in the years to come.
These are just a few of the many things to think about. However, while, as Emma says, writing a Will isn't much fun, it is one of the most useful things you can do for your family.
I am making a will, the big daddy of minor grownup tasks. It’s well overdue: I have seen more than once how someone dying without one makes a wretched time worse. Writing one is probably the most useful thing I can do for the people I love now.
