Sorry to be morbid ;), but November is Will Aid month. You can get your will done for £50 or £75 for a joint will and the solicitor waives the fee. Instead you make the donation to the Will Aid organisation and the money goes to the Red Cross, Christian Aid etc.

So. If you haven't got one, or need yours updating, November could be a good time.

Will Aid

9th ...sounds like an excellent idea ..but when I first read the topic title I wondered if it was a concert for Will Young ;)

Thanks for the link ..will look later

Melody :)

Anyone got Will's album. I read a terrible review. Is it worth parting with cash for?

Pinching your thread a bit, but what sort of arrangments do others make for their dogs in their wills. Mine is about to be amended and would like advice on the sort of detail to include with regard to my dogs and what sort of amount should be left for their care. If anyone can help I would be gratefull. Jackie

My family had WW3 when they were up and we were discussing what would happen to our dogs. They were all fighting over who had Loki :D Mine go to Al, or if we both die, they go to family members (Stinky and Carrie to my sister and TH to my mum). If that were the case, my mum would get 50% of our estate anyway, so haven't left provision for any cash to go with them.

The horse is proving to be another matter though! I'm leaving him to a friend with a couple of thousand, on the understanding that if she can't keep him she either finds him a nice home or turns him over to the ILPH for re-homing.

My sister was going to have the children if anything happened to me and Chris but when she said that she wouldn't keep Holly (and any other dogs we get) we told her to take a jump!!

My oldest friend is going to have them all and has vowed to give up work to be with them and keep teaching Jonathon at home. She's unmarried and doesn't have any children of her own but I trust her to look after them properly. She even said she'd have Imogen if she was still with us regardless of her medical problems. When we mentioned moving to Canada Alison said that she'd happily come with us so she can still see the children every week.

I've got pretty hefty life insurance and my will states that Alison can use the money as she see fit for the benefit of the children. Chris' life insurance is to go into trust funds for the children for when they're 21.

Fiona
x x x

If one of us goes, the other will keep the dogs but if we both go, they will go to my sister.

Helen

Im going to chip in here,Firstly no matter what arrangements you make for your dogs,children etc we are relying on human nature here and as such people lifes change over and over again and what is promised one week could very easily change the next.
One example is of someone who left all their money to someone in return for them letting their retrievers live out their lives in the house with them then they could do whatever they liked with the house after the dogs had died. The dogs were put down after a very short space of time.
Also with the view to the children if both parents die then they would hopefuly be cared for within the family but !! circumstances change My son got custody of his daughter when she was two and I helped him to bring her up I insisted he take out a really good insurance for Shelley should anything tragic happen to him I pay the insurance and I am the beneficiary on behalf of Shelley as she is a minor my Son named me as guardian but if her Mother objects to this it will be for the courts etc to decide and I may pop off in the meantime so nothing is fool proof.
On the subject of Dogs I cant recall how many times Ive been called in by families to take a much loved pet away when their owner dies and on may occasions a relative had promised to take the dog then changed their mind.Theres not much you can do when you are sitting on a cloud :)
My instructions to my family are If Sam outlives me he has the dogs,if not My oldest one would be put to sleep and the young ones rehomed by a trusted friend.
Please everyone also bear in mind how many dogs you keep as you are getting older Im down to two elderly and two young ones . and also bear in mind say you are 60 (which im not yet lol)and you take a pup = 74 0r so thionk of vets bills etc..
Its a nightmare for rescues when they have to take 16 plus dogs in from elderly breeders who havent made plans.
Phew sorry this is long :) :)

A point of observation to support what Mattie says - you cannot put conditions on people becoming beneficiaries - ie - she gets the money if she marries before age 21 , they get the house of they keep the dogs etc etc.

On the same subject - anyone know how to get a totally stubborn 69 year old parent to make a will? My Dad refuses point blank. My mum wnats to make one - we all have them but he just won't and I don't know why. I have asked and asked until I am blue on the face. I have also been very blunt and told him how selfish it is and how could he care for me and my mum so little - still made no difference. People really need to understand the complications of dying intestate and what they believe will happen because it seems right is often a million miles away from the reality. If anyone has an answer =- please tell me - we have tried everything.

Pam n the boys

Hi Pammy,
I know in the US, wills are based on the individual, not the household. So I'd think that your mum would be able to create her own will regardless of what your father does.

I think one of the best methods to get him to make a will is talk about how much money/property would be wasted if the courts became involved if he died intestate. Some states in the US grab up all the property/money and then dole out only 30% of its original worth. Even if the government isn't greedy, the time it takes can be years in comparison to having a will.

You can also mention how Cousin so and so that he dislikes will get his prized ______ to do with as he/she pleases ;) Your mum can talk about how she will sell his favorite _____ at a rummage sale just to get rid of it, even though it's worth hundreds of pounds ;)

My parents shocked me when I was 18 by telling me it was stated that I'd be executor of their wills. It came out of the blue and I prayed nothing would happen to them....not just because I love them, but cringing in fear at the thought of the battle my older brother would have with me
Today, I'd use my big brawny husband as a nice wall between us....but then????? I was very afraid. :( I still don't want anything to happen to them and they are up there in years -- with hopefully many more to come :) Denial is not just a river in Egypt. :rolleyes:
toodles

Thanks Sara - done all that!! I was VERY brutal to him at one bit - but he just shuts his ears as if it's never gonna happen. You're right - mum could make her own will and I've told her to do it - but she can only do so much without Dad having his too as most of what they have is in joint names. It is so bizarre - his parents had wills and dad was the executor and it all went so smoothly. It's like he thinks if he makes a will he'll die. Odd:rolleyes:

Pam n the boys

My father is exactly the same, and in his case with 3 marriages and children ranging in age from 44 down 13 he really ought to, as he is 68 and his wife is just 38, like me.

Chances are he could end up dying before my youngest brother reaches adulthood, and I envisage a very unpleasant time for his wife from my siblings, if she ends up with everything automatically, rather than it being my Dads stated wish!

I know what you mean about families changing their minds. My sister always said she'd have the children until we got Holly - then she told us she wouldn't have the dog as well and would have her PTS or rehomed through rescue. I couldn't bare the thought of the children having to cope with losing us and then the dog(s) as well.

Alison loves dogs and is unfortunately unable to have children - she's god-mother to all three of mine and adores them. It's tragic really as she'd be a wonderful mum. she took Jonathon for 3 wks when he was a baby as Chris was away and I wasn't well. She'd never looked after a baby before but didn't hesitate to come and take him. I went to my mums and had a good rest and recovered really well without the worry of the baby. She even flew home early from honeymoon when Imogen was ill.

I really regret the children not being kept in the family, but there's no way Chris' family are getting their hands on my kids :(

I suppose what it really comes down to is the fact that Chris and I trust her to bring the children up as we'd like and to keep them safe and happy. She also gets on well with my parents and Chris' mum and dad (something we've never managed to do :()

Fiona
x x x

I've left instructions for my two to be returned to their breeders, my family are well meaning and would probably take them but I don't think they could give them the life they are used to here. I would be happy for their breeders to decide, based on their age, health etc, whether they would be happiest rehomed, stay with them or even put to sleep. This is one of the benefits of buying a dog from a trustworthy, responsible breeder who will put the dogs needs before all else and something else to be considered by all you puppy hunters out there :)

Thats a good point Isabel - about being able to return your dogs to the breeders in case of such a sad event. I do hear of Cockers coming up for re-homing sometimes because their owner has died. not something a oet shop would take the slightest interest in.

Pam n the boys

Pet shop!! Strewth no, unless off course your dog was under about 12 weeks and they could sell it again :rolleyes: I suppose the next best thing would be breed rescue but again they may be very good but they won't quite have that personal involvement that a breeder would have that would make them want to do the best for the dog I know I would if one I had bred came back.

If we ever get our Sanctuary off the ground we will happily take on peoples bereaved dogs :) we do anyway but it would be easier with our own plave.
Did anyone win the lottery last night ;)

Mattie - YEAH we did - but only a tenner:(

Don't let it change you Pammy :)

Fiona,
Having been orphaned and then lived with various relatives until I reached 18 I know first hand how difficult finding the right person to take on your children is. Most important is that the person/people genuinely enjoy your children and accept who they are today. :)

lol @ Isabel

There's always the Cinnamon Trust too.

I am in shock ! I have made provision for my son in my will but never even thought of mt furry babies, HOW COULD I FORGET THEM?
:o
I will rectify this asap.
thanx for getting this thought into my big daft head.
trudy

no problem thats what we are here for :)