Firms sees an increase in younger people in NI making a Will during Covid-19 crisis

To help raise awareness of the importance of making a Will, McKees is taking part in the charitable initiative Will Aid for the 11th year and is dedicating a percentage of its time in November to writing basic wills, and instead of charging a fee, clients are asked to make a voluntary donation to the Charity.

Anne Wilson, Associate Solicitor of McKees said: “People in Northern Ireland continue to put off making a Will and only about 20% of adults here have made one according to recent surveys. It’s an incredibly sensitive area and people just don’t feel comfortable having the conversation with their loved ones. However, since March, we have helped an increasing number of people get their affairs in order, and in fact since the beginning of the pandemic we have seen an increase in those aged 25 – 40 making a Will. I think this is because people are taking notice of the continued infection rate, and unfortunately, the heart-breaking number of increased deaths across the province.

“We would encourage people to start having honest and frank conversations with family members about their wishes for the future. It’s a matter of preparing, not panicking. Making a Will is one part of a very important plan. That is why we at McKees have devised the ‘Family Future Plan’, to help people begin taking the basic steps needed to get a Will prepared. The process begins by talking to us, so that you make the decisions on what happens to your home, savings, pensions and any other money you have saved – this is called your Estate in legal terms.”

The ‘Family Future Plan’ consists of three steps:

1. Making a Will – you decide what you want to do with your Estate

2. Financial Planning - you make sure you are leaving the maximum inheritance to your family and you decide who it goes to

3. Enduring Power of Attorney – gives your family legal authority to act on your behalf should you become unwell and/ or unable to manage your affairs

She continued: “The fact of the matter is, if you haven’t made a Will, these decisions will be taken out of your hands. This means the people you love and want to help with their future might not receive as much money as you want to give them or in certain cases might mean your family ends up owing the taxman money after you are no longer here. We are living longer and inevitably this leads to higher rates of illness and care. Dementia has been the largest part of this discussion for years. By putting in place an enduring power of attorney you can ensure that you retain control over who looks after your affairs and finances.

“Despite the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, we are using technology to assist clients in making a Will. We can take detailed instructions by email, over the phone or video call and the document can then be drafted and sent back to you by email for review along with details on the proper next steps. A video call can be easily arranged to record signatures and to help confirm that the person making the ill has the mental capacity to do so at that time.

We would urge people across Northern Ireland to act now, get prepared and give yourself the peace of mind knowing that your last wishes will be respected and your loved ones will be looked after.”

The suggested voluntary donation for McKees to draft a basic Will as part of Will Aid is £100 for a single Will and £180 for a pair of mirror Wills. Donations support the vital work of the nine partner charities including Trocaire, Save the Children and Christian Aid.

If you would like to make a Will as part of Will Aid, please contact Anne Wilson at McKees by calling 028 9023 2303 or email [email protected]

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you