Focus SWW Autumn 2017 | Page 15

does Enders ccession planning? alert) his former partner Lisa Fowler (played by Lucy Benjamin), responsible for the near fatal shot. Then there is Ian Beale, one character that everyone loves to hate (not my words) but seemingly one that collects wives. His history of spouses and girlfriends brings about the obvious need for estate planning. 4 wives, adopted children, his own children etc. An obvious need to consider guardianship, practical planning to avoid sideways disinheritance for those wives that have moved on and with regular story lines about his varied business interests there will probably be some planning needed there. Dorothy ‘Dot’ Cotton epitomises the saying that ‘you can choose your friends but your can’t choose your family’. A lot of people will choose their children to be their executor but with children like ‘Nasty Nick’ the option to choose a professional executor to ensure that your wishes are carried out may prove to be a sensible one. This is obviously a light hearted, fun poking and unquestionably tenuous link between Estate Planning and the subject no-one likes to talk about – EastEnders (I might have got these the wrong way around), but worth thinking about and an easy way to introduce the subject to clients. Apologies for those who don’t like EastEnders puns, EastEnders itself or my article… Until the next one! Thomas Stansfield The Society of Will Writers The Society of Will Writers 13