I feel more relived now that we have as executor, our son and if he is unable to do it then our daughter. We are preparing our own written instructions, for them, to attach to our Wills. Which will include a link to this site if they need help and advice to our daughter saying that she must seek the professional help that she will need. We will also stress to her that she will not have failed us - as it will be a task she has never had to do before but at least she will have control. I just need to let go now and feel we have done the best we can with all your support. Again thank you.

Good morning everyone and I hope this finds you safe and well. Phew - yesterday I had the email from our solicitor to say our signed Codicils have arrived and been deposited in their safe. We will receive copies next week. It has been pretty stressful - but everyone has their own battles to deal with both mentally and physically given what we are all having to adjust to. After deciding we could not waste time we have used the firm that we have our original Wills with. They are a very large firm and of course had more staff than our local solicitor. I was able to scan forms of identification and the communication with the 'Lifetime Executive' was very helpful throughout even when working part time at home. At no time did not not get a reply or contact numbers, etc. When the Codicils arrived in the post we gave them 72 hours on their own out in our conservatory. (Really not sure about handling post - we are putting it in quarantine.) Of course then came the issue of getting witness to sign. Thankfully our neighbours were very obliging and with the required distance, hard back folders to use as a desk all carried out either side of a their five barred gate. (Keeping to the required distance, hand sanitizers, gloves, etc, etc. Then placing ALL paperwork back on our conservatory garden table and leaving it on its own for 72 hours before I scanned it, forwarded it, and then posted originals.) So - getting witness signatures - etc all would have been so much easier IF we could have gone to the solicitors in the first place. All the worry - has to have been worth it - we have Codicils to our Wills in a safe. Oh! Yes - free of charge! Our invoice was £540.00 - so that's nice to get a free gift. Thank you all for your support. .

Good morning everyone and I hope this finds you safe and well. Phew - yesterday I had the email from our solicitor to say our signed Codicils have arrived and been deposited in their safe. We will receive copies next week. It has been pretty stressful - but everyone has their own battles to deal with both mentally and physically given what we are all having to adjust to. After deciding we could not waste time we have used the firm that we have our original Wills with. They are a very large firm and of course had more staff than our local solicitor. I was able to scan forms of identification and the communication with the 'Lifetime Executive' was very helpful throughout even when working part time at home. At no time did not not get a reply or contact numbers, etc. When the Codicils arrived in the post we gave them 72 hours on their own out in our conservatory. (Really not sure about handling post - we are putting it in quarantine.) Of course then came the issue of getting witness to sign. Thankfully our neighbours were very obliging and with the required distance, hard back folders to use as a desk all carried out either side of a their five barred gate. (Keeping to the required distance, hand sanitizers, gloves, etc, etc. Then placing ALL paperwork back on our conservatory garden table and leaving it on its own for 72 hours before I scanned it, forwarded it, and then posted originals.) So - getting witness signatures - etc all would have been so much easier IF we could have gone to the solicitors in the first place. All the worry - has to have been worth it - we have Codicils to our Wills in a safe. Oh! Yes - free of charge! Our invoice was £540.00 - so that's nice to get a free gift. Thank you all for your support. .

Thank you Manxman. My husband likes our local solicitor (as I said he dealt with our land purchase) BUT as he said it could take some time - and - how long is a piece of string. I will wait and see what the solicitors say that we have our Wills with at present. Hopefully, tomorrow, I will get a reply from them. It is making me feel quite nervous as though I am running out of time. Maybe it is because I am the worrying type and feel guilty that I should have done this before.

Update - emailed our local solicitor and explained that we wanted our son Executor. He has just phoned me and said they are VERY busy because of the virus and said if it was going to be a complicated Will i.e. it could be easier to make a new Will. If that was what we wanted to do - he is not able to say if and when - as he or his staff may not be available and besides it is wise that we stay at home. So in the meantime he suggested we think about doing a Codicil via the original solicitors to elect our son as Executor. (Getting two signatures in the village where we live.) Until such time we can talk in his office about a new Will. So I have just emailed original solicitors (who are 40 miles away now) saying what we would like and providing all details of date, etc of our original Wills. I am sure legislation has changed - but - what would have happened anyway if we both died, say in an accident, they would have to work on these Wills surely? Hopefully, that will be a good interim move and will let you know the response from Will solicitors. P.S. Just read a clause that (on my husbands same as mine) that includes 'mutual' - 'I declare that although my wife is making a will of even date and in similar terms to this my Will the two Wills are not intended to be mutual Wills and each of us is free to revoke or alter his or her Will both during our joint lives and during the life of the survivor.'

Manxman - thank you 'I'd speak to your new solicitors first for advice on how to proceed in your situation (including removing the other solicitors as executors on your current wills). If you speak to the current solicitors first, they may not be so helpful - if you see what I mean!' My thoughts - this morning I too thought phone new solicitor. Find out how he would go about it given current 'crisis' when it comes to discussion, signing and time scales. 'Problem is, if your existing will is quite old, it may not do what you want it to do because of changes in legislation etc.' My thoughts - looking through it a part is written - 'my husband if he survives me by 28 days' - I found a piece of paper that I had put in our Wills at a later date - BUT DID NOTHING - saying a statement like that negates the loophole re inheritance tax. So I am sure legislation will have changed. Will keep in touch.

Thank you - Ethel Street - for the links I will look at them tomorrow.

To Quote - In the meantime you have "a will". If you are reasonably happy your son could act as executor you might want in the short term to remove the solicitors as executors. How you do that I don't know. Can you do it by a codicil? Can you get something in writing from the solicitors whereby they agree to renounce the executorship? Does it require a new will? I don't know. If no-one else here does, you could try asking local CAB or a different solicitor or try either of these: Phone original solicitor tomorrow - nothing lost (a) The current Will states my husband would be the executor if I die and visa versa. Then if neither of us are surviving the firm will be Executors. So I need to clarify if our son is 53 years of age - can he be written in as Executor and our second 'child' as next executor. Also taking them out as Executors. (They would be Trustees if our children or surviving children if one of them dies is below 18? ) (b) Can it be done by email or letter as we are 'self-isolating'. Next - Phone new solicitor tomorrow - (c) If I get a reply of existing Will solicitor - phone 'new' solicitor asking what would the time limit factor be, given the current world crisis to arrange a Will that suits our needs by discussion over phone first. (d) Out of interest could 'new' solicitor look at our Will via their system? Not sure if it is a silly question but they have means to access records don't they? Anyway something like that................ Manxman - I am taking note of your important points and will look at links tomorrow. Thank you all again - so much.

Thank you both. Yes - this virus situation has made us feel more vulnerable. Manxman - Thank you for your very helpful explanation and it really helps. 1. Yes - I am sure our son will be able to deal with it. Yes - we have two 'children' but one cannot cope with stress through a medical condition. Having said that they would be upset if they are not included we are sure. So delicate situation. We are considering naming them as a second exec if our son is not able to do it BUT making sure they understand that they can turn to a professional to take over. (if we left them out then the emotional hurt at a stressful time is just not fair.) 2. It did occur to me about re-marry/new partner - which my husband declares I would never have anyone else!!! I did jokingly say to him she only has to bring a lovely apple pie to the door! BUT - seriously though I saw it happen with an Uncle years ago - terrible for his adult children and they lost the belongings that belong to their mother who was killed in a RTA. So..... how would you write something like that in a Will e.g. if my other half remarries or takes a partner they will not inherit MY share or personal effects? 3. So if I write down our wishes as to how our 'estate' should be divided (son will have land) and contents shared out - if we both die - is this something that could be attached to the Will? Note: I thought we could say between them they decided what happens to our house i.e. sell or live in it. The value of the land (without Planning Permission) The value of our house then is compared to the value of the land. The house will be more and the difference divided. Is that too simple???? I suppose I should be pleased at least we have a Will - even though solicitors exec - but better than none I guess. I hope to get on with this - this week. I will go for the local solicitor and I would guess we could do most by email and telephone. When we are satisfied we go to office and keep our distance and he can witness and a secretary? P.S. Yes - we have two Wills at present - do they call them mirror image or something.

Ethel, Honeybee13 and BankFodder - thank you. I know we would have gone and seen a solicitor to arrange what we would like to do IF it became a possibility regrading our properties in about 12 months time. (In a way the current situation regarding the virus has made me sit up and THINK now about how our present Will is written years ago, and they are the Executors.) I hate this horrible feeling of guilt that I neglected to 'explore' our Will and make necessary changes - when our circumstances changed i.e. no mortgage, etc. At the time leaving everything to each other and then to our children. Now - I will concentrate on the thoughts you have provided for me today. (I feel so naive on this - mainly because we have no extended 'family' experience.) So - 1. My husband and I own our property as Joint Ownership and no mortgage 2. My husband and I own - as Joint Tenants and no mortgage a piece of agricultural land with a 'yard' that in the future we would apply for PP. 3. Our son has a house only a few miles away, but still has a mortgage, but would be able to sell when he wanted to. Our son has expressed the need to be there for us in the future. So we explored the idea if PP on 'the land' was granted our existing properties are sold and we are 'all on site'. In other words not quite like a Granny Annex but 'detached' similarities. (It would also mean if our daughter needed support in say years to come we would not be ALL living under the same roof but there for each other as we are now.) It goes without saying our future thoughts would definitely need serious legal advice and safeguards built in to cover for eventualities. 3. But - in the meantime - this existing Will needs to be changed. The firm who we used then have moved their offices further away. I can approach the local solicitor who in fact dealt with our land purchase - to make new Wills. So... maybe I leave it here - now that I have provided more information and would be grateful for your thoughts. By the way I know that word IHT comes up - I guess - if our son had to deal with this. But again never dealt with something like this before and how it could affect us. Note: I did look quickly at the link HB gave in her posting above on Probate. (But at moment head in a spin and need a Cup of Tea.)

Woops - I have not started the day off well today on this forum - I am so sorry. First - I didn't mean that anyone could contact me direct!!! I meant on this thread!!! Second - I mention 'self isolation' though this Corona Virus - we do not have it - it is just the precautions we are taking because of our age and underlying health issues i.e. we are not going out unless we have to and our 'children' are not visiting unless we needed help.

So sorry for mis-leading you !!! I wrote - and I quote - ' So not only am I carrying guilt but the corona virus, being we are in our 70's, has sent me into a panic!!! ' I know 'act in haste and repent in leisure' but somehow being in 'self isolation' i.e. we are not going out unless really necessary so feel this is the time to at least do an updated 'interim' Will. What I was trying to say was both my husband and I have underlying health issues and with our age - we are NOT going out unless we have to. (Listening to Radio 4 this morning I believe a support forum is being set up and possibility of a 20 min phone call with a Councillor - maybe anyone interested can listen to the program again.) Thank you for setting up a new sub-forum and again my apologies for mis-leading you.

Well - I didn't contact Phoenix again to pursue “FCA mandated calculator,” (see my post 104 & 118) Family illness and coping with a bereavement have only just settled down. Today - (a) I don't know if I feel mentally able to pick this up again with Phoenix or even try what 'ericsbrother' brother thought. (b) If 'self isolation' though this Virus started to create 'spare time' not sure if I could pick this up again after this period of time as the case would be closed I guess? If anyone else finds themselves in a similar position, the help here enabled us to 'fight' and it wasn't easy. BUT - our reward was a sum of money that we wouldn't have got otherwise. For that I am very grateful and we didn't go out and spend it - it is nice to know we have it for the 'rainy day'. (We made a small contribution to the Consumer Action Group as without them - I couldn't have dealt with it.) I don't think I could be of any help but if someone found themselves in the same position as we found ourselves in and thought I might be able to give any information please do not hesitate to contact me.

My husband and I made a Will years ago and this was complied by a Solicitor. The solicitors are the Executors if both my husband and I died leaving the estate to our two children who were then in their 20's. It sat in the draw whilst life events kept us VERY occupied and somehow it was not thought about again whilst the years go by. I feel really ashamed that we did not update it and now have read that using a solicitor could be more expensive than it need be. So not only am I carrying guilt but the corona virus, being we are in our 70's, has sent me into a panic!!! I know 'act in haste and repent in leisure' but somehow being in 'self isolation' i.e. we are not going out unless really necessary so feel this is the time to at least do an updated 'interim' Will. Unfortunately we have no relatives that we could talk this through with so I am grateful to have this opportunity here. We knew the Will would need updating and it was going to be, within the next year, as a family we were making exciting plans with our unmarried son to rethink our properties. So now these initial questions come to mind - 1. I have read about making your own Will - printed out Age UK - Steps 'How to write a Will'. (So I have 'the steps'.) 2. Have seen advertised McMillan and Air Ambulance will service but surely nothing is Free? 3. Our son is the eldest, has never been an executor but is capable but if he was made executor could he get the professional help he required if it became too difficult? Maybe I stop here and wait for any thoughts which would be gratefully received.

Thank you I need to give this some thought. At moment family issues have arisen and I need to get back to this ASAP.