THEY say Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Suhasini, a well-off entrepreneur from Mumbai loved her husband so much that she made him sole benefactor of all her assets and jewellery.

Her husband did what husbands sometimes do. He fell in love with someone else.

A scorned Suhasini drew up her will, leaving all the goodies to the Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity and the Ramakrishna Mission, including the flat they shared.

In my experience, only one out of ten women prepare their wills. If Suhasini had been one of those nine, her husband and his new wife would have had a good life living off her money!

We are not saying your will needs to be a tool for revenge, but it can ensure that your loved ones get what is rightly due to them.

If you are a woman -- married or single -- it is time you thought of making all you have worked for help people after you instead of being stuck in controversy and litigation.

Here are some pointers.

Lay the groundwork
i. Make an exhaustive list of your relatives. This will help you decide whom you wish to give to.

ii. Make a broad list of assets you have as of the day you prepare the list. Mention your immovable properties in meticulous detail.

Include inherited assets in this list, since you are entitled to distribute those too.

iii. Jot down your liabilities in detail, mentioning the person who would be meeting the same. You can also stipulate that your liabilities be met from your estate first.

iv. Nominate someone as the executor to your estate; a beneficiary can also play this role.

1 | 2 | 3 |  

e-mail: Subhash Lakhotia

Suggest a story idea! Write to us!