This is a really interesting topic, and I certainly encountered more complications that I expected in making legacies to charity in my will.
Reading the CS site, it directs you away from the will writing process if you are over 40 or have one of: a spouse, children, property (home ownership?), a business
Does that mean that if someone has written a will with this product, but changes to being one of these categories (over 40, married, a parent, a homeowner or a business owner) then their will would not be valid?
Hi Bernadette, great question! Thanks for bringing it to my attention that this isn’t immediately clear. I’ll try to make it more clear on the website.
The reason we have that section there is because oftentimes (based on our previous experience) these characteristics determine the complexity of the document that must be procured. In other words, the more possessions and benefactors a person has, the more paperwork needs to be done, and the more careful they must be about making sure it’s done right.
We are therefore in the process of securing partnerships with companies that could provide a more comprehensive service so that those with complex estates can be sure they have everything they need.
I should also add that this element of our Effective Legacies service is still under construction, so we’re recommending that people utilize the primary service for now. The one that can be found here: http://www.charityscience.com/create-a-last-will.html
I can’t comment on the legality of, for example, a married person’s will that was written when they were single, as I believe the laws vary based on location, but I can say it’s a good idea to update the document after any major life event.
Hope this answers your question! Let me know if you have any others. :)
I guess my observation is that almost all people would expect to be in that more complex position before they die, and I expect that will have a large effect on the potential for ROI of these wills.
Thanks Tom! Yes we’re hoping to have something more comprehensive up and running in the next few months, though I would recommend people use the primary service regardless. The final product is still great quality and there’s a good chance it’s sufficient even for complex estates.
Absolutely. I’ve come across similar stories in my research. Quite unfortunate and sad. It seems like it would be a good idea to update around once every two years even if that just means changing the document so it’s dated more recently. I would imagine having a recently updated document opens it up to less scrutiny.
We’re also quite aware that the service we offer provides more of a foundation for one’s estate planning that someone would have to build on over time. One benefit is that you can download your completed will as an editable doc so that you can change, print and sign multiple times as necessary, though major life events likely require more attention than self-editing.
This is a really interesting topic, and I certainly encountered more complications that I expected in making legacies to charity in my will.
Reading the CS site, it directs you away from the will writing process if you are over 40 or have one of: a spouse, children, property (home ownership?), a business
Does that mean that if someone has written a will with this product, but changes to being one of these categories (over 40, married, a parent, a homeowner or a business owner) then their will would not be valid?
Hi Bernadette, great question! Thanks for bringing it to my attention that this isn’t immediately clear. I’ll try to make it more clear on the website.
The reason we have that section there is because oftentimes (based on our previous experience) these characteristics determine the complexity of the document that must be procured. In other words, the more possessions and benefactors a person has, the more paperwork needs to be done, and the more careful they must be about making sure it’s done right.
We are therefore in the process of securing partnerships with companies that could provide a more comprehensive service so that those with complex estates can be sure they have everything they need.
I should also add that this element of our Effective Legacies service is still under construction, so we’re recommending that people utilize the primary service for now. The one that can be found here: http://www.charityscience.com/create-a-last-will.html
I can’t comment on the legality of, for example, a married person’s will that was written when they were single, as I believe the laws vary based on location, but I can say it’s a good idea to update the document after any major life event.
Hope this answers your question! Let me know if you have any others. :)
That seems reasonable. The advice we’ve had both specifically and generally from legal people is that a will which appears not to take into account your life circumstances is open to challenge. Certainly in the UK, charitable legacies have been successfully challenged for not taking children into account (even when that appears to have been deliberate). https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jul/28/daughter-wins-164000-decade-long-legal-battle-mother-will-charities
I guess my observation is that almost all people would expect to be in that more complex position before they die, and I expect that will have a large effect on the potential for ROI of these wills.
Yep. Would also be keep on the more comprehensive one 😊 well done though
Thanks Tom! Yes we’re hoping to have something more comprehensive up and running in the next few months, though I would recommend people use the primary service regardless. The final product is still great quality and there’s a good chance it’s sufficient even for complex estates.
Absolutely. I’ve come across similar stories in my research. Quite unfortunate and sad. It seems like it would be a good idea to update around once every two years even if that just means changing the document so it’s dated more recently. I would imagine having a recently updated document opens it up to less scrutiny.
We’re also quite aware that the service we offer provides more of a foundation for one’s estate planning that someone would have to build on over time. One benefit is that you can download your completed will as an editable doc so that you can change, print and sign multiple times as necessary, though major life events likely require more attention than self-editing.
Great observations, Bernadette! Thanks! :)