The 18th July 1959 marked the death
of legendary Jazz performer Billie Holiday; despite having made one of the
most influential contributions to the world of modern jazz, her estate
consisted of a mere $750 which she left to her husband, Louis McKay. The impression
Holiday left on the world will be valued far beyond the financial worth of her
possessions, irrespective of the tortured, tragic events that led to her
premature death from cirrhosis of the liver.
Other individuals have dealt with far more financially
upsetting circumstances following the passing of an esteemed family member. When
Jimi Hendrix died without a will at the age of 27, his £51million estate was
left to his adopted daughter instead of his biological son. Both families then
fought for an extensive period of time to identify a fairer resolution of the
Hendrix estate.
By comparison, Amy Winehouse’s parents
were themselves forced to take out over £600,000 in loans to cover the cost of
Winehouse’s remaining financial affairs, even though they had received £4,257,580
only two years previously.
There are numerous factors that have the potential to
overshadow the death of a loved one when the period should be solely reserved for
mourning and remembrance. Costly fees, drawn out legal proceedings and other
time sensitive factors will connive together as much as they can to pry
treasured belongings from family members under the ghastly guise of terms such
as ‘inheritance tax’ or ‘exempted gifts’.
Writing a will is perhaps the most informed decision one
can make. While you may not initially experience any empirical benefit relating
to your toils in this life, you will, however, be provided with the opportunity
to draw immense pride in the knowledge that not only have you left a better
life behind for your loved ones, but one free from the torment of the drawn out
legal proceedings of will disputes and negotiations. However, sadly on
occasions negotiating a will is an unavoidable necessity that one must endure.
The process of proving a will as legally binding is called
probate, and from my own experience it’s something best left to the
professionals. In fact, when I was younger, my family sought out probate
solicitors in Surrey for assistance in proving my grandmother’s will was a
legally binding document. It assisted in ensuring that an instance of near
debilitating stress was far more bearable, even at a young age I could decipher
that they had dealt with similar instances countless times.
My own ordeal might not have been paparazzi consumed
tabloid rhetoric, but it did serve as a poignant reminder that we all leave
something to our family members, be it monetary or otherwise. J Howard
Marshall, an oil tycoon worth $1.6bn, died at the age of 89, leaving absolutely
nothing behind to his 26-year-old Playboy model wife, and instead chose to
leave his entire fortune to his stepson.
How am
I seen now? How do I want to be seen? What will I leave behind?
I have been fortunate enough to have successfully followed
numerous career paths throughout my life, partly due to my passion for learning,
which extends far beyond my love for an individual subject or industry field
and as such I devote a large proportion of my time to learning
and fulfilment.
That’s what I hope to leave behind for my children, though
they may be grown-up, living their own lives and finding their own way in their
careers, I hope they will be able to look to me as an example; as someone who
continually strives in their quest for knowledge and self-improvement in order
to enlighten and better understand the world around them. It cannot be
stressed, what we leave behind doesn’t always have to be material to make an
impact.
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