Firm aims to reduce number of NZers who don't have a legal Will

In response to the astounding news that only half of New Zealanders have a legal Will, an enterprising Auckland law firm are offering new clients half price rates when they get their personal affairs sorted by drawing up a Will.

Leading trust and property law specialist Tammy McLeod is intent on changing the fact that Aucklanders are among some of the worst nationwide for not having a Will with more than 52% of Aucklanders who don’t already have one. For the month of October Tammy and her North Shore firm Davenports Harbour are offering special discount rates starting from as little as $100 to prepare a legal Will with the assistance of her expert team.

“It’s really important to have a legal Will that informs people what you want to happen to your estate and assets when you die”, says Tammy who specialises in helping people create Wills and Trusts.

Everyone, both young and old, needs a Will otherwise the family left behind may have to face huge legal hurdles and an emotional rollercoaster to sort out the subsequent mess – unfortunately something lawyers have to deal with too often acknowledges Tammy.

“As lawyers we have a social responsibility to help people prepare their estates for their inevitable death and we really want to help reduce the number of people who don’t currently have a legal will”, says Tammy who is a leading NZ authority on matters involving wills, asset plans and trust deeds.

Accordingly to recent figures released by Public Trust, those aged 25 – 39 are the group most likely not to have a Will with just 34% of people in this group who actually do have one.  “This is not surprising as most people in this age bracket tend to lead very busy lives and often don’t think of what might happen in the event that they die”, says Tammy.

It’s also true that the majority of Wills are hastily put together during a persons dying days comments Tammy. When this happens it often means that there is little time to really think about the choices one makes and it can also put unnecessary strain on the person as well as their family as they desperately try to get things prepared

In unfortunate circumstances it can also be a matter of trying to do too much too late. For example when a loved ones health deteriorates so rapidly it’s not uncommon for them to be deemed to be in an unfit  state of mind and therefore unable to sign off their wishes – then the whole family are left wondered and sometimes feuding over who gets what.

Ultimately it pays to be better prepared and to have your Will organised before any of this happens, says Tammy.

When completing a Will a person needs to consider what their assets are at the time of making the Will, who they want to leave their property to and also consider what the competing claims from family members can potentially be. Wills should also be updated when there is a change in circumstances (such as getting married or divorced). Transferring your assets to a trust during your lifetime is a good way of ensuring your assets are dealt with as you wish upon your death. This can certainly discourage unhappy children from making claims against your estate as you have no assets in your personal name to claim against!

“We often assist family with sorting through all the legal ramifications an out of date Will can sometimes have. To avoid all the heartache and confusion that often results we strongly encourage people to keep reviewing their Will documents at least every five years or when their personal living arrangements change”, says Tammy.

During October Davenports Harbour are also offering existing clients a free bottle of wine should they refer a friend, family member or work colleague to Davenports Harbour who then prepares a Will on their behalf.

For more information about how to update your Will or to establish a Trust call Tammy McLeod at Davenports Harbour Lawyers Ph (09) 9154380.