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Dying Matters Awareness Week: Let’s Talk About Estate Planning

9 May 2024

As we go about our busy lives, we tend to avoid the difficult subject of death in day-to-day conversations. However, death is a very real, inescapable part of life, and it is important to consider its impact in practical and legal as well as personal terms.

Dying Matters Awareness Week, highlighted by organisations like Hospice UK, provides the opportunity to start our own conversations about the uncomfortable but important topic of what will happen to our assets when we pass away

Timely, well-informed estate planning ensures your legacy, property and financial affairs, and your family’s future, are secure and will be managed according to your wishes.

So when taking this important step, it is essential to enlist legal help to properly understand and manage every aspect of your estate plan. By appointing Redkite Solicitors Wills and Probate team, you will have access to the knowledge and information you need to create an estate plan that protects your assets, addresses any tax implications and ensures you think through a whole range of issues to avoid distress and heartache in future.

Discussing Death and Estate Planning

The way we talk about dying matters. Death is an equaliser that does not discriminate based on status, age or wealth, and has a profound, enduring impact on those you leave behind. The purpose of Dying Matters Awareness Week is to encourage discussion about death and dying, and to provide information about resources for estate planning, access to quality end-of-life care homes, and ensuring families are aware of their loved ones’ funeral wishes and estate plan.

Talking about money and creating an estate plan in the context of a discussion around the death of a loved one is uncomfortable, but necessary. By encouraging an open conversation about death, Dying Matters Awareness Week helps families overcome the taboo and start the discussion around estate planning, including what will happen to their property and assets – from their house to any digital assets like social media accounts – after their death. Settling these matters ahead of time removes ambiguity and uncertainty, giving you peace of mind that your wealth and property will be managed according to your wishes.

Redkite Solicitors Wills and Probate Services

Redkite Solicitors has over a century of expertise assisting end-of-life planning. Our Wills and Probate colleagues understand how difficult addressing these topics can be and will provide sensitive, pragmatic advice to help you plan your estate, including potential inheritance and other tax implications, appointing your executors, designating guardians for your under-age children if any, consider any specific bequests you wish to make, including charitable bequests that could reduce your tax liability, providing for a previous spouse or children from a previous relationship – there is a lot to consider.

Our Wills and Probate team can also help you to create a Lasting Power of Attorney, which gives a trusted family member or friend the authority to manage your financial affairs, and even your health and welfare, should you lose capacity to do so yourself, whether that’s through age, illness or accidental injury.

Should you or a family member or friend lose capacity before creating a Lasting Power of Attorney, we can of course assist with appointing a guardian through the Court of Protection to act as legal representative and make decisions that promote their well-being and protect their interests.

After you pass away, you can rely on us to assist your executors to navigate the probate and estate administration processes, both of which are often complex. Our aim is to protect your assets, make estate planning as straightforward as possible, and give you peace of mind that you’ve made the best decisions in the interests of your loved ones.

Everyone’s story is unique, and we are skilled at distilling the specifics of your legacy into an effective strategy and legally binding, watertight documents.

Final Thoughts

While death is an uncomfortable topic to contemplate, starting conversations about dying is the first step in preparing for the inevitable and protecting your estate and legacy. We cannot predict when we will pass away, and putting off estate planning risks leaving our loved ones exposed to ambiguity and uncertainty during a difficult time. This week let’s take the opportunity to recognise how important these discussions are and take the first step.

Get in touch with our Wills and Probate team by emailing: enquiries@redkitelaw.co.uk or call us on 03330 144455 to discuss how we can help you plan ahead.