Making a Will

Making a will is not what you want to think about when you have cancer. You're too busy trying to live to make preparations for your death. But I've known for a while that it was something I should do. I don't have a lot of money in the bank, and by the time the present economic nightmare is over I imagine I'll have a lot less, but I want to make sure that whatever's left when the Grim Reaper finally comes knocking for me goes to the right people. 

It won't mean I die any sooner, having my directions down on a legal document. It won't even mean I die of cancer, necessarily. I could get hit by a car tomorrow walking down to the Premier store for peanut butter and Dr. Pepper. Or I might live for a thousand years. 

What it will mean, making a will, is that I can relax knowing when I pop my clogs the people who outlive me are going to get a contribution to an undoubtedly expensive funeral. My desire is to have my ashes scattered in Midsummer Meadow over the River Nene, where Michelle and I had our first date, but I'm sure the service still won't be cheap.

So the question is: how do you make a will if you can't afford to pay for a solicitor, not without diminishing an already diminished funeral fund anyway? 

Search engines quote an average cost for a simple will as anywhere between £144 and £240. That's pretty hefty for many of us, especially when we're paying that much every month in energy bills. 

I've seen one quote on Money Saving Advisors offering will writing services for £19.99. That has to be worth investigating. There's also National Free Wills Network to think about. They work in conjunction with national and local charities and send you a list, on request, of solicitors in your area who write your will without charge. I received their information pack yesterday. It shouldn't be too hard to choose, from my list, a solicitor to contact. There's only one who provides the service in Northampton. 

In exchange for their time the Network asks, but doesn't require, a contribution to charity. I think that's pretty reasonable. I will be leaving something to Cancer Research UK. What I give won't be enough, but I genuinely believe that all of us working together in whatever way we can will improve treatments and outcomes bit by bit, until one day cancer will no longer take our loved ones away from us as casually as branches being cut from a tree.

Bruce Hodder