Q: I have a rare medical condition which took fifteen years to diagnose. That was eight years ago and even though my life expectancy was affected by it I am still doing ok. I have, however, recently concluded it is time to ‘put my affairs in order’ by making a new Will and setting up a Power of Attorney etc. After talking it over with my family I have decided I would like to leave my body to medical science. So, my question is, should I put that in my Will?
A: Your executors would of course need to know what your wishes are in respect of your decision to leave your body to medical science and therefore those wishes would need to be in your Will. However, there is a little more you need to do than just stating those wishes in your Will, not least because for a variety of reasons there is no guarantee that a teaching hospital will accept your body.
Before making a new Will you should approach the relevant teaching hospital and ask whether they would accept your body for research. If they agree, they will provide you with the necessary documents confirming arrangements after your death. These will need to be stored with your Will so that your executor(s) know what to do when the time comes.
Once your executor(s) have informed the teaching hospital that you have passed, that hospital will arrange for your body to be collected by its own undertakers. There will of course be no funeral for you as such, although most families like to arrange a memorial service for their loved ones. After the teaching hospital has conducted its research it will arrange cremation of your body and your family will be able to collect your ashes. This can take anything from a month to several years.
This question has been answered by Victoria Wilson, a Partner with GHP Legal. If you would like to speak to someone about this or any other legal matter, please visit our website www.ghplegal.com and use the contact us form, or call us on: Wrexham 01978 291456, Llangollen 01978 860313, Oswestry 01691 659194
