Write a will week promoted by Public Trust

Write a Will Week begins this Monday, 8 October and is being promoted by Public Trust to get New Zealanders focussed on the benefits of ensuring they have a current Will.

It is an opportunity for people to check that their affairs are in order and either make a Will or review their existing one.

Public Trust’s chief executive Grenville Gaskell said, “Making a Will lets you decide how you will provide for your family and to choose how your affairs should be managed after you’re gone, it’s one of the most important documents people will write in their lifetime. People work hard to accumulate their assets, and it is good sense to ensure they are left to the people you want when you pass away. It can help ensure your peace of mind.

“Having an up-to-date Will also ensures that parents can make arrangements for guardianship of their children, and people can make their funeral arrangements known. We don’t think this is something that people should leave to chance, it’s always better to be prepared to ensure your wishes are carried out.”

“Public Trust also encourages people to regularly review their Will, ideally every three to five years or so. We also strongly recommend that a Will is updated when circumstances change so it really does reflect your current situation and what you'd like to happen. This could be at milestone events such as buying a house, getting married or entering into a civil union, having children or grandchildren, having a serious illness or perhaps inheriting some money. It’s also very important for couples who are establishing a new relationship or separating to ensure their Will reflects their wishes and their new circumstances.

“We want this Write a Will Week to help people overcome the barrier of not knowing where to start when making a Will, or even perhaps when to review their existing Will. Having your affairs in order when you pass away is one of the greatest legacies we can leave your loved ones. Public Trust wants to help all New Zealanders achieve this goal,” said Mr Gaskell

Writing over 20,000 Wills every year; Public Trust holds the Wills of more than 320,000 New Zealanders. It is estimated that Public Trust writes more than 20% of all the Wills drafted in New Zealand each year.

Making a Will at Public Trust is free if Public Trust is named as executor and trustee.

Public Trust manages more than 5,000 estates every year. Its staff of experienced estate specialists and advisors work with the family and beneficiaries when their loved ones have passed away to administer the estate cost-effectively and efficiently to ensure the beneficiaries receive the best possible value.

Mr Gaskell said, “Public Trust hopes that Write a Will Week will prompt those people who do not have a Will, or those who haven’t reviewed their Will for some years, to take the opportunity to do this. It’s a simple straightforward process at Public Trust. We believe that every adult New Zealander should have a current Will.”

Working with New Zealanders for 134 years, Public Trust is New Zealand’s largest and most enduring trustee organisation. As well as Wills and estate administration, Public Trust’s services include enduring powers of attorney, family trusts, pre-paid funeral trusts, education and inheritance trusts, charitable trusts, savings and investments, lending and insurance.

Public Trust has 35 customer centres; 27 in the North Island, including seven in the greater Auckland region, and eight in the South Island.

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