Case Study

I told my son I don’t plan to go anywhere, but everything is there if something happens

For the Browns, organising a Will and Power of Attorney – which offers protection should you become ill or unable to make medical or financial decisions – had been on their minds for a while. But after spotting a newspaper advertisement, they put the wheels in motion and proved it’s not too late to put your affairs in order. William Brown, 82, explained: “It was something I kept putting off to tell the truth, and then I started hearing people talking about it – in particular a friend with children working in the medical profession who were talking about how difficult things can become in a time of need.”

So, inspired by the ad, William got in touch with ILAWS Scotland.

He said: “I saw the advert for ILAWS and I gave them a call, and a chap came along to the house. There was no forcing or pushing, he explained everything and told us about Power of Attorney and how it had helped his own family. We thought, we’ll go the whole hog and get POA and Wills done for both of us.” Both William and his wife Mary, 84, ended up getting their Wills and POA arranged by ILAWS Scotland.

“I thought this was an ideal time to do it, and rather going to an office, they came to me,” said William, who was impressed that more or less everything could be arranged from the comfort of his own home.

“It encouraged me to go ahead, when they explained any problems that might happen and laws that might change,” he continued. “It was a learning curve going through all the signatories and such, but once we were through those barriers and signed, I felt happier.

“I told my son I don’t plan to go anywhere, but I know they’re there if anything happens, and he’ll have the documents there without the stress of going to court or anything like that.”

Of course, family conversations about Wills can sometimes feel unpleasant or uncomfortable – no one wants to think about loved ones not being there, after all – but they are important ones to have. For the Browns, having those documents in place was a positive step for both themselves and their family, including their son and three grandsons.

“At the beginning, I didn’t feel he wanted to talk much about it,” says William, when talking about his son’s reaction. “But I explained this was for his benefit and mine, so I knew everything was covered and he’d have no problems, and gradually he came around. I said, I’m going to tell you everything so that you have no worries or problems, I hope.” Now, William is encouraging others to make the call. “Go ahead and take guidance from people like ILAWS Scotland, because they’ve certainly been helpful to me through the process.”