Reunion After Adoption: a client case study

New Son, New Grandkids – and making a new Will

Although our work here at Just Wills and Legal Services involves great knowledge of the legalities and technicalities of estate planning, it is our individual colleagues’ ability to really talk to people about their lives and families that leads to genuinely valuable expert will writing.

Anna Damadzic, an estate planner for JWALS based in Worcestershire, has shared with us a recent story of a couple she met and the unique circumstances she was able to advise them on:

“An independent financial adviser (IFA) asked me to set up a Lasting Power of Attorney for his client who had had a bad stroke the previous year.  The lady was left with brain scarring and although she had mental capacity she was unable to speak.

“He explained that the lady would communicate with me by writing things down.  I suggested wills to the IFA but he told me, ‘Don’t worry about wills, they have wills, they have no children.’

“Upon meeting the lady, communication was difficult but I took the instructions for her Lasting Power of Attorney.  As I did so, her husband noticed the word ‘wills’ on my business card and told me that they needed to change theirs.

“So I started to talk to them about wills and, out of habit, I asked if they had children.  The husband looked to his wife and said, ‘Well? have we got any?’

“She put her thumb up to indicate ‘one’.

“It turned out that during the early 1960s – as a teenager – this lady had had a baby boy, who was subsequently adopted.  Her son had recently found them and they wished to include him – and their newly discovered grandchildren – in their will.

“In my work, I often come across the details of people’s lives that they may not have considered when they first started thinking about making a will. I feel this is a great example of how ‘soft facts’ and the truth always come out when people are writing their wills with expert help, and also how useful we are to Independent Financial Advisers!”

For more information get in touch with us at Just Wills and Legal Services on 01342 477102 to book a free consultation.