Case Study The stress is off. My loved ones won’t have to make tough decisions

Constance Simpson, 79, Glasgow

For Constance Simpson, fear had put her off creating her Will and Power of Attorney documents for years.

“I can’t even tell you what about it I was scared of,” she admitted, “but I kept putting it off until Covid-19 started being talked about.”

Despite being in great health, it was the potential threat of the pandemic that finally spurred Constance into action. And after seeing an ILAWS advert, she decided the time had come to get her affairs in order.

“I spoke to Marcus on the phone and I could instantly hear in his voice how friendly he was and I really liked his attitude,” she said. “Because of lockdown, we managed to do everything on the phone or by computer so I didn’t have to worry about Covid-19 and it wasn’t as complicated as I’d thought it would be.”

And, as Constance herself acknowledged, it was “like a weight had been lifted off me”.

“I felt so light afterwards and I know now that whatever happens is exactly how I want it to be and I have the people I want taking care of me.

“It’s also taken the stress off my loved ones, as they won’t have to make difficult decisions because everything is there in black and white for them.”

For many people like Constance, it can be the fear of giving up control that can stop them from creating their Wills and Powers of Attorney. But, in fact the reverse is true.

“I am not giving up control, in fact I have total control and I can change the documents if I like.”

Constance added she would “100% recommend” Marcus and the ILAWS team to anyone else who is looking to put their legal affairs in order.

“I honestly couldn’t have found nicer or more matter-of-fact people – they’ve made my head a lot clearer and I’ve been able to let go of so much stress and worry that I’d carried around for years.

“It’s definitely been a case of ‘better late than never’, but I really wish I’d done it a long time ago.”