# ...



## sarahj (1 May 2008)

...


----------



## mf1 (1 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*



sarahj said:


> Hi,
> Can anyone advise whether I can do a DIY will?  Has anyone done one themselves and have a format.  Would it be legally recognised.  Any advice appreciated.




Yes you can. But the only way you will know if it will be legally recognised is to have someone who knows what they talking about read over it for you and make sure you have executed it correctly. And if you need to do that then..........

Why not just go to a local solicitor who is highly recommended to you to do your will - pay them approx. E100 and work on the basis that you can have peace of mind.

mf


----------



## dazza21ie (6 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*

I think you can get a template from Easons for DIY wills, you definetly would get a template by googling it, however, as MF1 stated above you can get peace of mind at a small cost by getting a solicitor to do it for you. Not only will they be able to advise you on the legalities of making a will but also on tax implications etc. They will also provide storage for the will.


----------



## CrazyWater (7 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*

From citizensinformation.ie

The requirements of a valid will

It is possible to draw up a will yourself or you can hire a solicitor to help you. For a will to be legally valid, the following rules apply:

    * The will must be in writing
    * You must be over 18 or have been or be married
    * You must be of sound mind
    * You must sign or mark the will or acknowledge the signature or mark in the presence of two witnesses.
    * Your two witnesses must sign the will in your presence
    * Your two witnesses cannot be people who will gain from your will and they must be present with you at the same time for their attestation to be valid. The witnesses' spouses also cannot gain from your will.
    * Your witnesses must see you sign the will but they do not have to see what is written in it.
    * The signature or mark must be at the end of the will.

These are legal requirements and if they any of them are not met, the will is not valid. If you want to change your will after you make it, you can add a codicil (amendment or change) to your will; this codicil must meet the same requirements set out above.


----------



## z105 (7 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*



> * You must be over 18 or _*have been or be married*_



Can I not spend my life being single and leave everything to my local cats and dogs home for example ?


----------



## mf1 (7 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*



Havealaugh said:


> Can I not spend my life being single and leave everything to my local cats and dogs home for example ?




There, there, of course you can!

Its just that you must be 18 or over to make a valid will - unless you are or have been married which gives you a fasttrack to being an all grown up adult........

mf


----------



## z105 (7 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*

Phew !!

Though I did only say leaving everything to a local cats and dogs home was _an example_.....!!!


----------



## jackswift (7 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*

http://www.makeyourwill.com/googlewills.htm?aiebcGn008G_EI_WILLS_1695

I saw this website recently it costs €16.95 to make a will. I don't know anyone that made a will using it. They email you the will to sign. They also give you 7 days to make any changes.


----------



## Bronte (8 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*

OP - making a will yourself is a false economy as you run the risk of not doing it correctly, if a will only costs 100 Euro it would be much better to go to a solicitor.


----------



## ClubMan (8 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*

www.wills.ie have a simple template but as mentioned above unless your will is extremely simple and you know for sure what you're doing then you might be better off getting professional assistance. The fact that somebody asks if a _DIY _will is a good idea suggest to me that they should get professional assistance.


----------



## Gulliver (8 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*

A few details that you should watch for:-
1 A will is considered as mutilated is it has a pinhole e.g. from a staple.  This may not make it invalid, but it could lead to difficulties if challenged
2 You should be careful to ensure the longevity of any inks used.  For example, under certain circumstances, some inkjet inks will fade in the long run


----------



## Complainer (8 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*

My credit union has an arrangement for a local solicitor to provide a basic will for members for free.


----------



## Vanilla (8 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*

Quite a few credit unions do this or sometimes they have a day where they offer wills for free. You'd be surprised at the low take up. I think people prefer to pay for advice on such a sensitive matter and retain their complete privacy.


----------



## Complainer (8 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*



Vanilla said:


> Quite a few credit unions do this or sometimes they have a day where they offer wills for free. You'd be surprised at the low take up. I think people prefer to pay for advice on such a sensitive matter and retain their complete privacy.


Why would privacy be compromised by taking up such an offer by a CU?


----------



## Vanilla (8 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*

Because in some cases the appointments are made through the cu. For some people that is enough. Or they might be seen going to the solicitor that day. Etc etc


----------



## Complainer (8 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*



Vanilla said:


> Because in some cases the appointments are made through the cu. For some people that is enough. Or they might be seen going to the solicitor that day. Etc etc


It's hard to imagine how someone would be happy to have an account with the CU, and have them process financial transactions for them, but not be happy to make an appointment for a will through the same people.

The concern about being seen entering the solicitor's office on a designated day seems to me to be a throwback to the 1970's, where people were obsessed with what the neighbours thought. Anyone who still plays along with these games deserves to pay for service that they can get for free.


----------



## ClubMan (9 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*



Complainer said:


> where people were obsessed with what the neighbours thought.


A lot of people still are!


----------



## Bronte (13 May 2008)

*Re: Making first will - DIY?*

But people would not know why you were going to see a solicitor, it could be for anything?


----------

