Making a will !

Every year a huge number of people cause confusion, grief - and big legal costs because they die without having made a Will.

The sad thing is that making a Will is so simple, and does not cost much money.

The cheapest way to ensure that your worldly goods are distributed according to your wishes is to go into any newsagents and buy a pre-printed Will form for a couple of dollars. Just write your name to identify yourself, follow the prompts and add the name of the person who you wish to be your beneficiary - and then go and find two people - neither of whom are mentioned in your will - and both of whom will be present to witness you making your signature to the document.

This will satisfy the inheritance requirements of most people because in the great majority of cases a Will simply exchanges ownership between partners of a relationship.

If the terms of a Will are more complex, involving children or a number of variations it can still be handled on a standard Will form, but there are good reasons to spend a little more and have a qualified person draw up the contents.

A solicitor can handle this, but it is a good idea to ask the cost before proceeding further. A Will can be made at no cost by engaging the Public Trustee, although as part of that deal this Trustee is named the administrator of the Will when the signatory becomes deceased - and may charge fees for carrying out this duty.

It only takes a short time to make a legal Will - but the reduction in delays, cost of red tape and statutory requirements will more than compensate for that time when your loved ones have the task of settling your affairs.

And that is something that will eventually occur to everyone on this planet !