About the Book
Most of us, let’s face it, find it hard to come to terms with our own mortality. And of course that is an essential precursor to admitting our need of this Book (or something like it).
Matthew has noticed a number of friends dying without providing those left behind with what they needed to sort out their financial affairs, plus other things. The family was simply left to pick up the pieces. Making a Will (which not all have done) is only the start of it, as there’s a whole raft of practical jobs to be done, including dealing with various layers of officialdom. So Matthew thought that by guiding people gently through the exercise, the devastating journey of bereavement could be made a whole lot easier.
The aim of the Book is to be both ‘concise’ and ‘comprehensive’. So the text, which takes the individual and their family through the various stages of preparation, runs to just 110 pages – intentionally. Included within it are six Appendices containing the forms which are set out as a spreadsheet on the website to be filled in and customised to the Reader’s own circumstances. The forms are set out in the Book, both as a pointer to the digital versions and for those who may want to create their own forms to use as a guide.
About the Author
Matthew was born and bred on a farm in Norfolk. He studied classics at Oxford University and qualified as a solicitor in 1979. From then until his retirement in 2013, he practised as a solicitor before running his own tax consultancy, advising, lecturing and writing books on estate planning and trusts.
Since his father’s death in 1984, he has managed the family farm. In 2014 he was ordained as a self-supporting minister in the Church of England. In 2020 Matthew was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Norfolk. Married to Annie, they have three children and two grandchildren.