Robert Shaw & Co

Planning a funeral is really difficult. Losing a loved one is hard enough and the extra stress of making all the arrangements and decisions during this time can only add to that pain.

Plan ahead, and add your funeral wishes to your will. Your loved ones will greatly appreciate it.

These are the eight things you should mention:
1) Burial or cremation?
2) Where?
3) Style?
4) Ashes?
5) Celebration?
6) Charity?
7) Attire?
8) Music?

Do you have a growing family? 🤰

If you do then I'd first of all like to say congratulations! Welcoming new children or grandchildren is wonderful.

It's very common to want to leave these special arrivals gifts when we pass, which there is no limit on, however, I do have a word of caution though. If you list all the names of your grandchildren and leave them, for example, £1,000 each, then you would automatically be excluding any new grandchild that may come along after your will was made.

To avoid updating your will in the future and to accommodate for any new arrivals would be to state that you wish to leave £1,000 to "each of my surviving grandchildren". This way any and all newcomers are included automatically.

Your will can be a wonderful way to give back to society 🌏

The most popular way to do this is to leave any number of charitable gifts within your will.

This can be done using specific amounts or as a percentage of your total estate. If you decide to leave 10% or more of the value of your estate to charity then there can also be some tax benefits.

If you would like to give to charity, then you need to make sure that your will is explicitly clear and is up to date with how much and to whom you'd like to give it.

Have you been putting off amending your will? 😬

I know it is definitely something that people often procrastinate (even though you really really shouldn't!) it can seem like a really dauntingly dull and boring process but what if I told you that that it is actually much simpler than what you think?

It can be broken down into six easy steps, shown here in this resource: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fOXas5CB3VRUvbqZLOqUbWBOgyMuB--m/view?usp=sharing

Like anything, it seems much more manageable once you break it down 🔨

For more resources just like this one, check the 🔗 in my bio!

Everybody is unique, so their treatment plan should be too. 🏥

There are so many circumstances that could cause somebody to choose to opt out of any type of treatment, the most common factor is usually ethical or religious beliefs but it could even just be based on your preferences. You may even be the “Just give me everything” type but want to create certainty that even if you are unconscious or unable to communicate your wishes are upheld.

Whatever you choose to do, should be protected. 💪

Our team can help you do this by creating an Advanced Directive, check the link in my bio for more info....

Have you thought about what having a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) actually means for you?🩺

Although it is a very common and important form of paperwork, it can be easy to overlook all circumstances as it is very global. Therefore it is vital that in your Advanced Directive, you have drilled it right down to certain circumstances.

An example of this is in the case of pregnancy, how is your DNR impacted? If you're pregnant, do you want to be kept alive until the birth has been successful? Or do you want to be let go regardless of whether or not there's a living being inside you? It's an important decision that you should make for yourself.

This kind of will gives you the opportunity to determine what should happen if you are pregnant, compared to if you are not.

Do you know what a letter of wishes is? 💌

A letter of wishes is made to include all the things you wouldn't necessarily detail in your Will.

The possibilities for what could be included in your letter of wishes are endless ♾️

For example, you can detail exactly how you'd like your funeral to be. So if you want an eco funeral, in a wicker basket, tied with pink raffia and each guest to come forward and place a flower, during a service on top of a hillside followed by a vegan barbecue in a teepee, then that's fabulous, and you can really go to town in your Letter of Wishes, although it is important to note that a letter of wishes cannot replace your will, it is additional.

If this sounds like something you would be interested in but you don't know where to start, we can help. We can provide you with a FREE template and sample upon request. Just check out our website!
https://www.robertshawandco.co.uk

Is it time for you to update your will? ⏰

If you're unsure, then might want to consider these six factors:
- Have you had any significant life events recently? Like a divorce or the birth of a child.
- Has there been any changes in your family dynamics? Whether that's a disagreement or a reconciliation
- Have you hit any new financial milestones?
- Have you started or acquired a new business?
- Have you moved house or relocated?
- How long has it actually been since you last took a look at it?

If you think any of the above things may apply to you, then I would suggest that you should look into updating your will.

We're here to help if you need it ✨

Who do you want to be your advocate? Your voice in case you're unable or don't want to speak for yourself? 🗣️

For example, who explains that you don't want to have any blood products - whether you can communicate or not, you can still nominate an advocate so you don't have to be involved in the conversation but be assured that your wishes, beliefs and needs are being respected.

This is just one of the many reasons Advanced Directives are so important if you're interested in naming your advocate then let us know and we can help!

Did you know?💡🤔

There is no technical limit on how many Lasting Power of Attorney you can have and you can also name replacement attorneys who can step in if one of the original attorneys becomes unable or unwilling to act.

So you might want to bear this in mind if you haven't chosen your attorney(s) yet, having multiple people act together can reduce some of the responsibility and can help ensure that you will always have a trusted attorney.