Brittney, Public Trust Officer, Queensland Public Trustee
I made my first Will when I was in my early 20s, even though most twentysomethings aren’t thinking about what happens to their things when they die. I’d been working for Queensland Public Trustee (QPT) since I was in my late teens so was used to seeing people making and updating Wills at our offices, and after a few years at work I realised I had some superannuation and a car, so actually had an estate that I could gift to family.
My other reason for making a Will was that through work I saw parents whose adult kids had died without a Will. When that happens, your family are grieving your death but at the same time they’re trying to work out what your assets and liabilities are. It’s not an easy process, and the last thing I wanted was to leave my mum and dad in that position.
Big life changes mean it’s time for a new Will
After making my Will, life got busy. I met my partner Cameron, we got engaged less than a year later and then we were in the thick of wedding planning. When we got married I knew the Will I’d made was invalid because laws across most of Australia say marriage revokes any previous Will except in special circumstances.
It wasn’t until I’d had our son, though, a year after our wedding that I remembered my new Will still hadn’t been done. I was already blessed to be a stepmother to Cam’s two incredible children, but it wasn’t until I gave birth to my son that I fully realised the level of responsibility you feel to provide your children with stability and security, both emotionally and financially. Thanks to my job, I knew those were things a Will could help me do.
Still, I didn’t make a new Will straight after having a baby because having a blended family can make making a Will a bit more complicated when it comes to distributing assets. I was conscious that Cam’s kids have an amazing mother and stepfather, who’d also make sure they were taken care of, whereas our son only has me and Cam. I went through every possible scenario in my head of how we could ensure all of our children are taken care of and had probably overthought it by the time I talked to Cam. I’m lucky that when Cam and I spoke about our Wills, we had the same mindset on what kind of distribution would ensure the financial security of all of our children fairly.
Don’t leave loved ones with uncertainty
For me, and most other people, the process itself of making a Will is simple. You need to know your approximate assets and liabilities but you don’t need a suitcase full of documents. You can’t easily update an existing Will with new wording when life changes, though. It’s better to make a new Will rather than risk amending your existing Will in a way that’s not valid.
It’s really important when you make a Will to think through levels of distribution, even though this can be confronting. That’s something a solicitor can help with, by explaining scenarios for you to consider. It was tough to think about who’d look after our child if my husband and I died, and other absolute worst-case scenarios, but it’s better to think them through and put your wishes in a Will than not be prepared and leave your loved ones with uncertainty.
After I made my new Will, it was an instant relief to know I had it in writing. Now my worry is that I’ve got a Will and Cam hasn’t yet, because I know how much work is left for a partner or family if someone dies without a Will. Booking Cam’s Will appointment is next on my to-do list!
