When is it a good idea to do a testament/will?

[justaguy]

When is it a good idea to do one? I'm still quite young but I had one in my home country until I recently asked my solicitor to throw it out because I wanted to change a lot of stuff on it. Quite a great many things have changed since then and I'd like to draw up one in Finland.

I don't really know the first thing about getting one done in Finland but from what I have asked here, everyone agrees that I should get some legal help in filling one out, and that it shouldn't be too expensive. It's incredibly easy to get one done back home (I can just order one off the internet, and fill it out). Doesn't seem to be the case here.

Could I please have a bit more info?
Thanks

[FinnGuyHelsinki]

It's good idea to have a will when the default inheritance proceedings according to law is not what you want. Also, if you have any doubt that the inheritance proceedings will go peacefully (e.g. there's only a sole inheritor, or you're certain that the people that would be getting something can agree on things between themselves), it's good to have something written down, e.g. if you want a specific part of the estate (a car, a work of art, your stamp collection,...) to go to a certain child, as these things have a tendency to get very ugly very fast. What is different in Finland compared to some other countries is that one cannot fully dictate the distribution of the inheritance with a will, e.g. one's children always have a legal right to a certain portion (in value) of the estate.

Basically a scribble on a paper is enough, but it can be contested later on (after your death) whether you have been in sound mind whilst writing the will, whether it is you that has actually written the will etc.. It is not a requirement to have a lawyer draw up the will, but a lawyer is able to explain things and answer any questions you may have from a legal standpoint, and knows which hoops to jump through to make sure that the will is such that it cannot be contested afterwards.

[betelgeuse]

Basically a scribble on a paper is enough, but it can be contested later on (after your death) whether you have been in sound mind whilst writing the will, whether it is you that has actually written the will etc.. It is not a requirement to have a lawyer draw up the will, but a lawyer is able to explain things and answer any questions you may have from a legal standpoint, and knows which hoops to jump through to make sure that the will is such that it cannot be contested afterwards.

The scribble on a paper requires two witnesses signing it. You can get a testament done for around 100 euros so it's worth paying for foreigners. Other good tip is depositing the testament to your bank. This will make it much harder for an interested party to destroy it.

[Pursuivant]

When is it a good idea to do one?

Before you die

[Pursuivant]

What is different in Finland compared to some other countries is that one cannot fully dictate the distribution of the inheritance with a will, e.g. one's children always have a legal right to a certain portion (in value) of the estate.

Its very regulated, and theres a lot of phraseology that needs to be just right in a certain order to get the desired outcome - even then you can contest a will. Usually things get ugly when theres property involved. Especially if its a case with his/hers kids and the kids wanting their 1/2 and whether the widow has full rights of "usage and control" and such.

Or then some old boy like your uncle croaks and you find your cousin's gone and bought the house 2-3 years back but theres no money in any account

[Rip]

Do you know what happens following the "default" rules if you do not have a will?
(For example somebody having kids and (preferably all from same marriage) wanting to share everything equally, quite possibly does not need a will)
If you're not satisfied with that then you should make one and probably have it made by a lawyer (and deposited somewhere safe).

[Bavarian]

Other good tip is depositing the testament to your bank.

Do they seal the safety deposit box in Finland when you die?

Mom died a couple of months back, and Dad made certain to transfer funds from joint accounts to ones in his name only so that the accounts wouldn't be frozen, and also checked the safety deposit box that very morning. Apparently when his stepmother died 20 years earlier, her will was in her safety deposit box, which was sealed with the result that nobody could get at the will to execute it! They had to call somebody down from whichever branch of the New York state bureaucracy is the relevant one to do the unsealing, at some expense.

It turns out that Mom had left each of us kids a $50 savings bond that matured in 1983, four two-dollar bills, and a special commemorative Bicentennial coin. None of us knew this stuff had been in the box for over 30 years.

[betelgeuse]

Other good tip is depositing the testament to your bank.

Do they seal the safety deposit box in Finland when you die?

Any member of the estate (pesän osakas) can ask the bank to catalogue the safety deposit box. Assets will not be given out before the distribution is settled. In addition to safety deposit boxes, many banks provide document saving service so you can explicitly save a testament only.

Mom died a couple of months back, and Dad made certain to transfer funds from joint accounts to ones in his name only so that the accounts wouldn't be frozen, and also checked the safety deposit box that very morning. Apparently when his stepmother died 20 years earlier, her will was in her safety deposit box, which was sealed with the result that nobody could get at the will to execute it! They had to call somebody down from whichever branch of the New York state bureaucracy is the relevant one to do the unsealing, at some expense.

Spouses do not have automatic access to each others safety deposit boxes. There would need to be an explicit authorization to do so. For joint accounts they are usually "or" accounts in Finland. This means a spouse can continue using it normally.