I particularly noticed the article because, over the last month, I’ve been updating my wills, which, I hope, won’t be read for a long time. As I live in Spain, I have one will for my assets in Spain, and another for those in England. Although not a large amount, I want to leave my affairs in an orderly way, thus avoiding any misunderstandings.
In Spain, all wills are completed by a notary and then registered centrally in Madrid. There are restrictions over how an inheritance is divided and one's children cannot be omitted, although there is some flexibility in proportions left between one child and another. In England, people are free to write their wills themselves, leaving their assets to whom they want, nominate an executor, have the wills witnessed, and the documents can then be kept anywhere. Different systems, but both appear to work reasonably well. Nevertheless, when money is involved, there is, unfortunately, reason for disagreement and, as shown above, the occasional court case.
It’s sensible to write a will, but for the person it can be quite traumatic. There's the realisation that the inevitable will happen and we will all die, with timing being the only unknown factor. Writing a will can be seen as an opportunity for the person to think about their life and the people who will benefit from the assets to be left. Others, however, will not easily accept that they’ll die, and delay writing a will, or not write one at all, which can cause difficulties for the surviving family.
Over the years, I’ve chosen to update my wishes by writing new wills, as life doesn’t stand still and circumstances change; although it’s usually less necessary to do so in Spain as the legal framework copes with family changes. The important requisite is to make one's details clear and unambiguous. If there is room for misinterpretation, there is scope for disagreement.
With the two step-sisters, a judge will soon decide how to distribute the assets of the deceased and, from the reports I’ve read, I think it’s logical to divide them equally. What a sorry way, though, to remember the lives of the elderly couple who died in a distraught state and I hope that the step-sisters learn from their actions.