Your Will Repository: Exit

Our aim is to make it easy for everyone to have access to the right tools and services to prepare their affairs in case of an emergency. SharedAffairs users told us that they had still not written a will even though they knew how important it was and how much stress it would save in case anything happens to them. They were putting off writing their will because they were:

• Unsure of where to start
• Thought it took too much effort,
• Confused by costs of creating a will,
• Tried DIY wills but wanted to store their will safely for free,
• Too busy to visit solicitors,
• Uncomfortable telling strangers their personal details,
• Not ready to commit important decisions to paper.

Now with secure technology you can use SharedAffairs to store your information and make it available to your key contacts at the right time - a time that you can control.

Use our smart, easy form to write your will.

Once you’re logged in, you will see your Will Repository. This digital vault lets you store your private notes and a scanned copy of your existing will if you have one. It also allows you to create your will simply by answering the questions in the smart form.

We use technology to automate as much as possible and save you time and effort in writing your will. Once you’ve answered the questions, decided upon executors of your estate (we explain all the terms as we go along) and who are the beneficiaries, SharedAffairs presents your completed will to you. We do not charge you for this service.

You can take your time deciding how to answer each question when convenient, you don’t have to complete it all in one go. We simply save it for you until the next time you log in and you can continue where you left off. You can make changes to any previous answers and update your will any time and as often as you wish.

We provide step-by-step guidance (from experts) and create a secure digital vault so you can relax knowing the information for your will is available in a safe place that nobody can access except in an emergency by those you assign.

How do you make sure that the information in your Will Repository reaches the right people only if you are no longer around?

That’s easy, we have taken care of this for you. This is how it works:

• You answer the questions in the smart form to create your will. Or you can just insert a scanned copy of your existing will.
• You can assign anyone from your contacts: such as family, friends or other trusted people to your Will Repository. At this point they cannot see the information you have provided, they will only be able to access the information in your Will Repository in an emergency.
• If anything happens to you, your trusted contacts will sign into their own SharedAffairs account and request access to your Will Repository. This will trigger the countdown to open the Will Repository and they will wait.
• When they request access to your Will Repository, you will be alerted (by e-mail or SMS and through your SharedAffairs account) to inform you who has requested access. The other trusted people that you have assigned, will also be alerted so that they can let you know if anyone requests access when they shouldn’t.
• If there is no emergency and you are well, you can cancel the request to stop the Will Repository from being accessed
• If there is a genuine emergency and you are not around, you will not cancel the request thus the Will Repository will eventually open (according to the time delay you decided) for your trusted contacts to access the information you placed in it.
• They can then print a copy of your will and share it with the right people without the need to ask a third party where you stored your will.
• You can use the “Notes” section of your Will Repository to inform people where you have kept a hard copy of your signed will if you have one.

Remember, whether you have completed the questions in the smart form or not, if you feel ready to share the information you’ve provided, you can assign your trusted people whenever you want. This ensures they will at least know your decisions and what you intended to write in your will. Of course, it is important that you answer the relevant sections so that you can upload a scanned version of your signed and witnessed will as soon as possible. You can then continue to update or improve upon that as you wish.

Once you are happy with it, simply print it off, sign it and upload a scanned version. Your will, will be legally enforceable once signed in the presence of two witnesses.

SharedAffairs also make legal experts available to review your will should you wish to do so. By allowing you to provide structured information ready for review, we can send that to a will-writing professional (usually one of our solicitors) if you select that option. You can review the costs of doing so beforehand. These costs should be reduced as the solicitor should not need to spend valuable time gathering basic information that has already been provided by you by completing the form.

This way, you can rest assured that any complex arrangements, for example, due to divorce, business holdings or extra property assets, are properly considered.

Aside from your will, SharedAffairs also helps you record your funeral wishes for your loved ones and lets record a personal video message for them in case anything happens to you.
SharedAffairs also suggests what information you should include to ensure your family can easily go through the probate process thus reducing their worry and costs.
The digital vaults are designed to encrypt and securely store anything such as access to your social media, email, goodbye letters or cherished photos and passwords for critical online accounts or for your phone and computer. You can store anything at your own pace in the privacy of your own home on your laptop, tablet or mobile as and when you identify key information.

You can organise yourself and let your family know you have done your bit by giving them all the legal, emotional and useful information they’ll need in case something happens to you.