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Timely reasons you should make your will

Tal ing about death or writing a will can be a taboo sub ect for many people, especially us laidbac iwis, but in these uncertain times, it really is something we all need to get sorted.

Principal Trustee elen Trembath from Public Trust, says many iwi s put off getting a will or updating it, for many reasons, including not wanting to thin about mortality, having busy lives, and common misconceptions that it will be too hard or ta e too long.

ost of us tend to have the iwi she ll be right attitude and thin we will be around forever, and we don t have to worry about this at the moment, she says. ut in this current climate, we find ourselves in this new level of uncertainty, and life has changed for all of us.

Another factor that ma es now the right time to create a will is that many

iwis, especially those in bigger cities, are sitting on larger assets now than

they were years ago due to increases in property prices. And alongside this many of us will also have increased wealth, than s to iwi aver.

Now really is a particularly important time to create a will and get things sorted for you and your family. t gives everyone peace of mind, she says.

Trembath says it s also important to create or update your will if you re over or your circumstances have changed, such as buying your first home, retiring, or getting married or divorced. These ey milestones are times when people may face challenges or changes in their priorities.

The pandemic has also highlighted how quic ly things can change, and how hard it can be to manage estates when many New ealanders and their families live apart or if there is no will in place. f someone passes away

without a will, the process to manage an estate can ta e longer and be more complicated, which can be stressful for a grieving family. f something is preventing you from managing your own affairs, or you simply want someone to do it for you, a trusted Enduring Power of Attorney EPA can ma e decisions on your behalf.

reating a will can include nominating beneficiaries and an executor, plans for your assets, debts, and anything else in your name after you re gone.

And, even though it s easy to put it off, creating a will doesn t have to be hard wor or ta e too long. ou can create one online, over the phone or in person, and experts such as Public Trust are on hand to guide you through the process.

t really is a simple process these days, Trembath adds. And once you ve done it you will feel a great sense of relief that it s all sorted.

ne of the most important things to do when creating a will is to nominate an executor - this is the person or independent professional trustee responsible for ensuring your estate is administered and distributed in accordance with your final wishes set out in your will, once you have passed on. Nominating an executor requires a lot of thought, as this is a very important role that can be quite demanding, especially for grieving family members.

any people appoint a trustee to be the executor of the will, instead of a family member. Trembath says the main reason why people do this is that the executor role is not only timeconsuming and complex but requires managing a lot of legal, financial, and estate administration wor .

There are other ways for us to assist, such as the Executor Assist service from Public Trust. This service allows a person to still be the nominated executor and retain control over all decisions throughout the process, but they direct Public Trust to help them fulfill their executor role, as much or as little as they li e.

or more information or boo an appointment with Public Trust call

or email info publictrust.co.n . To create a will online visit publictrust.co.nz. ou can also find your closest customer centre at publictrust.co.nz/contact-us.

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2021-10-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

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