Technology helps people plan wills

Younger people are being more proactive when it comes to preparing wills, thanks to time-saving technology.

Financially savvy savers in their 20s and 30s are turning to Blenheim’s Public Trust’s online portal to make their last wishes official.

Since the onset of COVID-19, more clients are choosing to upload their last requests online.

Public Trust Trustee Cristy Cameron, based in the Blenheim office, says the customer centre has adapted to ensure everyone can easily make a will.

“People don’t think you need a will unless you’ve got a house or there’s a major asset involved but there’s a lot more to a will.

If you have a Kiwisaver over $15000 you need one or you can give an indication of who will look after any children.

“You can also include any final wishes, for example if you’d prefer a burial or cremation.”

For 130 years, staff at Public Trust have help thousands of Marlburians complete a will or with Enduring Power of Attorney.

But during lockdown the team had to come up with a way to help that didn’t involve meeting in person.

Figures show about 100 people created a will online.

“We don’t see that many young people in person,” Cristy says. “Since Covid, we’ve got an online system so if you have a pretty straight forward situation and are computer savvy, that’s a good way to do it.”

Dying without a will can create issues for families.

Public Trust Chief Executive Glenys Talivai says people need to be prepared.

“If you die without a will, it can make things quite complicated and stressful for your family and friends left behind.

“We encourage all New Zealanders to have a will in place. It is quite easy to create one, it just requires some thinking about what your wishes are.

“Having a presence in the region for so long means there are a lot of family connections too.

“A lot of people here trust Public Trust and have long family histories with us. We might have done their parents’ or grandparents wills or estates.”