Creating a will
Max Grinsell-Jones and his dad Alan talk to Nathan about creating a will and managing finances.
Something important for everyone to consider as they grow older is creating a will. A will is a legal document that lets people decide who gets the things they own when they die.
Recently, 22-year-old Max Grinsell-Jones went through the process of creating a will with his parents Alan and Catherine.
Alan is a lawyer, and when he retired, he decided it was time to organise wills for himself and his family members.
“Like a builder who never finishes his house, I was a lawyer who didn’t have a will,” Alan says. “When my wife Catherine and I decided to do ours, it seemed a natural thing to do one for Max.”
Max has bank accounts in his name, a Disability Support Pension, and is a beneficiary of Alan and Catherine’s wills. He also has jobs which give him an income.
“I do after school care Fridays,” Max says. “I work at Go Boats. And I work at the FCAI (Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries) in the office on Thursdays.”
It therefore made sense to do a will for Max.
Alan and Catherine used an online template for the will, and were able to create it themselves because of Alan’s legal experience. They had a conversation with Max explaining the contents of the will, and then he signed it.
“There were no key considerations given Max has Down syndrome,” Alan says. “We just treated it like any other will. We haven’t done anything in terms of setting up a Special Disability Trust for Max, although I know a lot of people do that and it can be a good thing. Max has two older sisters, and they play a close part in his life, so we didn’t see a need to set up that protection at this stage.”
A Special Disability Trust is a way of leaving money to a person who will require help to manage that money.
Alan says it might be something to consider if Max decides to move out of home and live independently.
At the moment, Max is learning how to manage his money with an organisation called Grandma’s Jars.
“Last Friday I went shopping with Phil (from Grandma’s Jars),” says Max. “We were looking around at the different prices.”
Max has also recently got his driver’s licence and is learning to look at cars. Plus, he is a big footy fan and is learning how to purchase AFL tickets.
“I’m a Giants fan. I like to go to the games,” Max says.