Andy has been on my back all week about getting those legal matters in order. I love my son, but he can be a right pain sometimes. I don’t think he realises how difficult it is for me to think about all this. I understand that he has a point, though, which almost makes his insistence all the more annoying.
The thing is, I never thought I’d have much of an estate to be divvied up – just some personal effects that the kids might want for their sentimental value. So I’d never given much thought to putting together a legal will. That was before my estranged sister passed away last month, and left me two valuable pieces of real estate that I hadn’t known anything about during her lifetime.
So, here I am, finally having to think about how to put together a last will and testament. Melbourne has some pretty interesting laws around what happens to your stuff if you don’t have a will. Is there someone around here that I can consult on the matter? It’s times like this I have mild regrets about dedicating my life to the study of Russian literature, rather than taking my father’s advice of pursuing a career in law.
All I know is that I don’t want Andy and Janice to end up like Ellen and Bill, having to deal with all that nonsense around applying for a grant of letters of administration. Melbourne is not a hard place to be as far as seeking legal advice is concerned, after all – how hard would it have been for their parents to get their business affairs in order before they signed out from this mortal coil?
Anyway, I plan to do better than leaving behind a contested or disputed estate, if only as a final favour to the kids. I’ve spent my whole life doing them favours; why stop now? Besides, it’s probably not a bad thing to force myself to reflect on this whole shenanigan called life.
Now, who’s getting my collection of first-edition Dostoyevsky?