Do I need a Will ?

Every individual's case is different - that is where the one to one advice becomes important.

1. You don't need a Will at all if you are content to rely on the rules of intestacy in the countries that your assets are domiciled.
2. Anyone can write their own Will - there are simple templates.
3. Many people are uncomfortable with doing a Will themselves because of the fear of it not being 'valid'.
4. A straight forward Will can be arranged by Thai Widows & Expats for 2,000 Baht with 500 Baht for a Thai translation/copy.



Wills are a cost effective way of making sure that your assets are distributed the way YOU want them to be.

We can give examples of cases where this did not happen i.e, the UK guy who actually wanted his brother to have his UK assets. He didn't make a Will so upon his death his Thai wife inherited the lot. She was happy - but NOT what he wanted.

In another case an expat did not want his Thai wife to receive all his assets on his death. This was because he did not trust the family not to exert extreme pressure on her to spend it !

Arrangements have been made for to receive an initial slug of cash (for funeral costs etc) and then a monthly stipend for a given number of years. These were his wishes, our role was to find a mechanism that was workable after his death.

As part of the Will service we also advise on what widows need to do to obtain benefits that they may be entitled to i.e. UK Bereavement Payments..

A Will has to be acceptable in the country that it needs to be used in. The basic legal wording is simple - the actual content just needs to be understandable. Most estates are simple and distribution of assets straight forward. If an estate is large - or complicated - then you should not be using Thai Widows & Expats or ANY lawyer in Thailand.

Remember as well that you can express your wishes but if you have not (for example) taken due account of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975 you may find the Will being challenged. Contrary to popular opinion you cannot just leave everything you have to Battersea Dog's Home.

Somebody once said "'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

A Will can actually help to avoid taxes. Regrettably, a Will cannot help to avoid death - but it can help to ensure that your wishes are carried out, and the loved ones left behind are cared for.
 
We both have wills made in Australia that cover our Australian assets. Should we make separate wills in Thailand to cover our Thai assets?
 
We both have wills made in Australia that cover our Australian assets. Should we make separate wills in Thailand to cover our Thai assets?



If your Australian wills are specifically limited to Australia, then you should have a Thai will to cover your assets here in Thailand, or be prepared to have the Thai rules of intestacy applied. If however your Australian wills do cover your asets worldwide, then those wills will likely suffice, but will probably need to be probated first in Australia before they can be used in Thailand.

Separate Thai wills are strongly recommended.
 
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