Very last minute wills.

First of all , I'm sad that your friend is on an oncology ward and has little time left .

Sorry , but she needs a solicitor particularly if her will is complicated .

You will be blamed for any "unfair changes ."

The will might be challenged and the sad event of her demise might become an unpleasant legal tangle - I've seen it happen .

Unless complicated, writing your own Will is perfectly legal as long as the witnesses sign correctly and are not beneficiaries. A properly written Will invalidates any previous one.

This is a minefield if major changes are made the will is likely to be challenged, unless the family agree to the changes, so I’m not surprised nobody want to get involved, you shouldnt either.
If she writes down the changes she wants to make, the executors could take it into account but it would not be binding

Thank you Hiltop

There should be someone at the hospital who can advise. In my day social workers were always based at hospitals to assist with advice and support fir patients.

Try phoning PALS department at the hospital. They are often able to help with many situations.

Given that she doesn’t want to use family/local solicitors, I think it likely that the changes will be contentious and will be challenged.
Definitely not something for an amateur will having spent three years trying to sort out a last minute change to a relatives will made in hospital.

Nightmare, nightmare,nightmare!

Marie Curie might be a good suggestion. Try Macmillan as suggested though I’ve always found them worse than useless.

Riverwalk

^I have suggested that she doesn’t need a solicitor and if she dictates it to me I could print it and then she could get it signed in the hospital.^

I think that's about the worse advice you could give someone!

Of course she needs a solicitor.

Exactly !

Riverwalk

^I have suggested that she doesn’t need a solicitor and if she dictates it to me I could print it and then she could get it signed in the hospital.^

I think that's about the worse advice you could give someone!

Of course she needs a solicitor.

Riverwalk
That’s why I am on here to try and get advice.

My dads will was written on a piece of lined paper with a red margin line.
Signed by two neighbours. Perfectly legal with no solicitor involved. So is mine. However, they were perfectly straightforward . This one may be different.
I have no clue what she wants to put in the document and have no idea what she has already done.
What I do know is that she has been unwell for a long time and feel she could have thought of this before but now is not the time for lectures.
I did wonder if the hospital could help, she can’t be the first patient to need such a service. She has said she will enquire today.

contact macmillan or marie curie for advice.
some have outposts in hospitals.
all the best.

I have suggested that she doesn’t need a solicitor and if she dictates it to me I could print it and then she could get it signed in the hospital.

I think that's about the worse advice you could give someone!

Of course she needs a solicitor.

I m sorry I don’t have any legal advice but my thoughts are it could be a minefield for you to get involved in especially if it involves any changes to family heirlooms etc You could get blamed for influencing her etc ( I m not suggesting you are at all)
I think it definitely needs someone with no connections to her or her family to witness these changes