What does legacy mean to you?
When we hear the word legacy, we often think about what we leave behind. But legacy is about much more than money, property or possessions. It is about the people we love, the values we hold, the memories we create and the wishes we want respected when we are no longer able to make decisions for ourselves.
Legacy Week is an opportunity to pause and ask yourself some important questions:
- What do you want to leave behind?
- What do you want people to remember you by?
- What matters most to you, and have you made sure the people closest to you understand your wishes?
It is also the perfect time to think about making or updating a Will and, if you would like, a Letter of Wishes alongside it.
There is never a “right” time
Making a Will is one of those things that is very easy to put off. There is always something else that seems more urgent or more important. It can sit at the bottom of the to-do list for years.
I know this because it was exactly the same for me.
However, the more I have worked in this industry and seen what can happen when someone dies without a Will, or when family members are unsure about what their loved one would have wanted, the more I realised just how important it is to put those plans in place.
The reality is that there may never be a perfect time. But the best time is when you have the capacity to make those decisions calmly, thoughtfully and on your own terms not when you are already dealing with something difficult.
Do it while capacity is not an issue.
A Will is for everyone
There is sometimes a misconception that Wills are only necessary for people who have significant wealth or complicated financial affairs. That simply isn’t the case. Most of us accumulate assets throughout our lives without necessarily thinking of ourselves as having an “estate”, a house, a car, savings, shares, personal possessions and other things that are important to us.
A Will allows you to set out how you want your estate dealt with after your death and gives you an opportunity to make your wishes clear. For parents, it can include guardianship arrangements for children. For couples and families, it can help provide clarity and reduce uncertainty at an already difficult time.
Making a Will does not have to be scary or complicated. One of the most common things we hear from clients after completing their Will is how empowered and relieved they feel, a real sense of peace that comes from knowing something important has been taken care of.
Your wishes, in your own words
A Letter of Wishes can sit alongside your Will and provide additional guidance about the things that are important to you. It can be a more personal way of recording your thoughts and wishes and can complement the formal legal document.
And don’t underestimate the value of having a conversation. Talk to the people you love. Tell your family what matters to you. Let them know what you would like. These conversations can feel uncomfortable at first, but once they have started, they can become much easier and knowing what someone would have wanted can make an enormous difference to those left behind.
Planning for your lifetime: Lasting Power of Attorney
Legacy Week is not only about what happens after you die. It is about your choices and making sure your wishes are respected during your lifetime too.
This is where a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is equally important. An LPA allows you to decide in advance who you would want to act for you if you were unable to make certain decisions yourself. It is about choosing someone you trust and putting arrangements in place while you still have the capacity to do so.
You choose who acts for you. You choose the decisions they can make on your behalf. That is what an LPA is about. Your choices, made on your terms.
Capacity should never be taken for granted
We often assume we will always have the ability to make our own decisions, but circumstances can change. If capacity is lost before plans have been made, it may no longer be possible to put the arrangements you would have chosen in place.
That is why planning ahead matters. Make your Will. Consider a Letter of Wishes. Put your LPA in place. Have the conversations. These are not morbid things to do. They are practical steps that protect your wishes, secure your future and make things easier for the people around you.
This Legacy Week, make time for you
This Legacy Week, we want to encourage everyone to think about what legacy means to them.
Perhaps it is the memories you want to leave behind. Perhaps it is the values you want your children and grandchildren to carry forward. Perhaps it is simply knowing that your loved ones will understand what mattered to you and what you would have wanted.
Whatever your legacy looks like, taking the time to plan it is an act of care.
Throughout September, we are supporting Hospice by donating 10% of our legal fees for Wills. If you complete your Will questionnaire during September and return it to us, we will donate 10% of our fees to Hospice to help fund vital end-of-life care and support.
So, if making your Will has been sitting at the bottom of your list, perhaps Legacy Week is the moment to move it to the top.
There is never a perfect time.
Make your wishes known. Protect your future. Give your family peace of mind.
A life well planned.
