Writing a will can MAGIC away family disputes
WRITING a will can magic away family disputes such as the one between Paul Daniels Jnr, son of magician Paul Daniels, and the magician’s widow Debbie McGee.
Writing a will can magic away family disputes such as Paul Daniels Jnr and Debbie McGee
Daniels, 56, says his father’s entire £1.5million estate has been left to the magician’s wife McGee, who has failed to help him out.
Experts say disputes like these are common when parents remarry after divorce, and it is not just celebrities who get caught out.
Nicola Waldman, partner at London law firm Hodge Jones & Allen, said: “With more than 130,000 divorces every year in England & Wales, many are torn between what assets to leave first and second families.”
Experts say disputes like these are common when parents remarry after divorce
Leaving it to someone else to handle could mean your will is challenged.
Your spouse, former spouse or any partners, as well as children and dependants, can apply to the court for provision from your estate if they feel they have not been provided for.
Emotional Debbie McGee describes life without Paul Daniels
People do not like talking about death
Waldman says competing demands can be avoided with careful planning, with one option being to create a trust allowing the second spouse to use any assets during their lifetime, which revert to the deceased’s children when they die.
Almost a quarter of over 55s, a staggering 4.2million people, have no will, research by SunLife reveals.
Daniels says his father's entire £1.5million estate has been left to the magician's wife McGee
October is Free Wills Month, which offers this group the chance to have a will written or updated free of charge and SunLife director Graham Jones is urging them to take advantage.
He said: “People do not like talking about death.
"As a result they are not planning for it, but without a will, you have no say in how your assets are shared.”