Why writing a Will should be on your holiday preparation list

Going on holiday is one of the best examples of a time when you can have increased peace of mind knowing that you have a professionally written valid Will in place. Our everyday lives are filled with risk, which is why it is always important to write a Will, but these are added to significantly when we go on holiday.

There will often be a large amount of travelling involved with one or more flights, boat trips, train journeys and car trips to explore. You may find yourself driving on the different side of the road for the first time, or dealing with road signs in another language, or very different customs (or lack of customs) on the roads. You may be trying new foods, or eating in restaurants or other places that don’t have the same strict hygiene rules that we have in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. You may decide that your holiday is the time to throw your normal caution to the wind and try some extreme sports or other activities such as bungie jumping or white water rafting. You may find yourself out late at night in a town or city you don’t know, or in a holiday hotspot were tourists are targets of crime. You may find yourself trying to obtain the correct medication or hospital treatment without speaking the local language.

We are all largely aware of these increased risks while we go on holiday, and we will buy travel insurance, medical insurance, and take other precautions.

We don’t expect that people will rush to add writing a Will to their holiday preparation list just under buying sun cream and flip-flops, but we would strongly suggest having one in place before you go on holiday. Most trips are booked well in advance, and that is perhaps the best time to start thinking about the need to write a Will.

Dying without having a Will in place means that your estate will pass on according to the rules of intestacy, which unfortunately have not kept pace with modern society. As such, co-habiting partners will not inherit under these rules, but an estranged husband or wife that you have not yet completed your divorce from will. There can be unnecessary delays, large inheritance tax bills that could have otherwise been reduced, and there is potential to cause upset in an already grief stricken family.

Compared to all the other costs you will incur booking and going on holiday, writing a Will is a relatively inexpensive thing to do, and the security and protection it provides continues long after your holiday is over.

If you would like to receive information or advice from one of our Will writing solicitors simply click here and a member of the team will be in contact at a time of your convenience.