This is My Last Will and Testiment

Have you made your Will?


This is the Last Will and Testament
Of me…………………………………………………………………………
Of……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
In the parish of………………………………………………………………………………………………
I hereby revoke all wills and testamentary dispositions heretofore made by me and declare this to be my last will and testament.
I appoint………………………………………………..of………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………and………………………………….of………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
To be the executors and trustees of this my will, and Trustees hereof for all the purposes of the settled Land and Conveyance Laws. I direct my Executors and Trustees to pay my just debts and funeral and Testamentary Expenses.

I give and bequeath




In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand to this my last Will and
Testament this …………………day of…………………………………………..
(Testator to sign here)………………………………………………………………

Signed by the above-named Testator as and for h last Will and Testament in the
presence of us both, being present at the same time, who at h request and in h
presence and in the presence of other have hereto subscribed our names as
witnesses.

Name…………………………… Name………………………………………..
Address………………………… Address………………………………………
…………………………………. ………………………………………………
Occupation……………………… Occupation…………………………………..

“Sample of common Will forms provided by Guardian Life Limited”



Many people are of the notion that when one writes a Will, one is about to die. This is not true. A Will is simply your last instructions as you would have wanted us to carry them out on your behalf upon your death.
Have you noticed how many of our friends and family members have died this year? It is left to be desired how many of us have some sort of life insurance and how many of us have actually prepared our Wills or encourage our family members or friends to do so?


A Will can be drawn up in any format (hand written on a piece of paper or on an official Will form as the one shown above), but it should flow in a logical sequence and it must be printed and signed; not stored on a computer diskette or any other electronic device.
It should contain the following;

Name and address of testator (person writing the Will)
Revocation of all prior wills;
Burial instructions or other instructions for the disposition of the testator’s remains;
Specific bequests and gifts to beneficiaries
Establishment of testamentary trusts, if appropriate;
Survivorship provisions in the event of a common disaster causing the death of both spouses within a specified amount of time;
Appointment of executors and trustees and provisions for change through the appointment of successors;
Instructions to the executors in trust to carry out the testator’s disposition wishes;
Administrative instructions regarding the management of the estate;
Direction of payment of all expenses, debts and income taxes related to the death;
Testimonial in which the testator acknowledges signing the will and dates the will; and
Attestation in which the witnesses declare that they have seen the testator sign or acknowledge the will in their joint presence.



What are the advantages of having a Will?


If you die without leaving a Will, then you would have died intestate. In this case, your assets will be frozen while the court appoints an executor to distributes, the estates according to the intestacy laws.
Having a Will ensures quicker settlement of your estate.
It also guarantees that your wishes are carried out as you would have wanted.


How can I revoke my Will?


By Marriage,
Destruction,
By writing a new Will or other written instructions.




Can I make changes to my Will?


Yes you can make changes to your Will. You can modify the terms of your original Will without requiring the entire will to be redrafted by simply preparing a document to this effect. This document is called a codicil.


With this information you should be able to write your own, however, if you are still not sure as to how to proceed, then I encourage you to seek the help of a lawyer. If you are now more confident in Will preparation and wishes to write your own will then do so quickly. Just remember the testator must be of the legal age of majority (generally 18yrs); and must be of sound and disposing mind.