Making A Will Is An Important Part Of Estate Planning

The importance of making a Will is made clear in the case of "Maurice", whose failure to do so frustrated his own wishes – and left his widow with an unwanted, and unnecessary, stamp duty expense.

When Maurice died, he left a wife, Mary, and three adult children. Maurice was not a wealthy man, but he and his wife were able to acquire a beautiful family home during his lifetime and he was also fortunate enough to inherit a small cottage from his aunt.

Maurice thought he was on the right track when he obtained a Primary Family Homestead Certificate for the home he and his wife resided in. However, Mary would always tell him that obtaining such a certificate was not enough and that he should make a Will to be on the safe side. But stubborn Maurice would always say "Why should I make a Will, everything is going to go to you anyway."