I’m mum to two young boys aged 9 and 10. When my eldest son was very little it soon became apparent that something wasn’t quite right.
From global developmental delay to profound and multiple learning difficulties, from no diagnosis to a diagnosis of an ultra-rare genetic condition, our lives have not followed the path we’d expected it would.
Being parents to a child with life-long disabilities brings with it its own challenges and responsibilities. The most difficult to comprehend is the fact that he will probably still be here requiring the same level of care when we aren’t.
And although hard to think about, we knew we owed it to him and our wider family to make the proper preparations for his future care.
One of which was writing our Will.
Having a Will in place is important for every parent.
It is the only way to ensure your wishes are met after you die.
Writing our Will wasn’t the easiest job but the sense of relief I felt afterward was worth it.
We used a Solicitor, specialising in Wills & Estates who was able to guide us through the process with expert advice and support. She asked us questions we would never even have considered important.
We also used the opportunity of writing our Will to leave some charitable gifts to organisations that had helped us out along our special needs journey with advice, support, equipment, and even grants.
It feels good to think we’ll be repaying their kindness.
I must admit I’ve always felt quite smug that I have my Will in place. Adulting at its best!
But it’s about so much more than just a piece of paper, it’s about having open and honest conversations about your future wishes with your family and friends.
No one likes to think about dying. But talking about it won’t make it happen. It will, however, be one less thing to worry about knowing that your affairs are in order.
For more information about writing your Will, download our handy guide here.
