Episode 169: Why you need a will with Nellie McQuinn

Listen to our latest discussion Why you need a will with Nellie McQuinn.

Nellie addresses the misconception that wills are only for the wealthy. She notes that an estimated 72% of adults in the UK don't have a will. Young people in particular, believe they have no need to have one. Nellie soon explodes that myth!

She talks about the four key reasons why everybody needs a will.

• Guardianship - her number one priority. Any child under the age of 18 will be at the mercy of the courts without a will in place. 
• "Common Law Partnerships" - there is no such thing in UK law, so without a will a surviving partner can be left with nothing.
• Blended families - A complex situation that needs the clarity a will offers.
• Avoiding family conflicts - a will ensures every family member knows where they stand whether they like it or not.

Poignantly, Nellie has designed an app to preserve the emotional legacies of loved ones. She explains the importance of passing on the stories of each family member from one generation to another and is currently raising funding to develop the concept.

But Nellie is not just a willwriter. She is an award-winning willwriter! She recently won a Silver Award for Best New Business at the Best Businesswomen Awards. And she was delighted to be a finalist in the British Will and Probate Awards. Discover why she entered at such an early stage of her business, and why she'll continue doing so.

This is a brilliant episode for anyone thinking of starting a business, wondering whether entering awards is a good idea at an early stage, or wants more information about wills and what they mean to you and your family.

About Nellie McQuinn

Nellie McQuinn is the Founder and CEO of AWAY Wills, a new kind of Will-writing company built for modern families. After a decade in children’s television, most recently as Vice President, Head of Production at Moonbug Entertainment where she helped bring CoComelon and Blippi to global audiences, she had a major career pivot and retrained as a Will-writer whilst 6 weeks postpartum.

Becoming a mum of two shifted her focus from children’s stories to family legacies. She saw that while media had embraced innovation and inclusivity, the world of Wills was still weighed down by tradition. AWAY Wills was born to change that, offering plain-English guidance for real, modern lives, from blended families to digital legacies.

 

{1:22} Why Nellie became a willwriter.

{3:45} Where the name "Away Wills" came from.

{4:35} Why everybody needs a will.

{8:01} The fallacy of "common law" partners.

{8:56} Why blended families must have a will.

{14:05} When not having a will can be disastrous.

{15:16} Nellie's app for preserving emotional legacies.

{18:25} Nellie's trip to Ireland to trace her Grandfather's journey.

{21:25} Why Nellie entered awards at such an early stage of her business.

{24:53} The challenges of starting a business and Nellie's tips for budding entrepreneurs.

 

Connect with Debbie at: https://thebusinessawardsshow.co.uk

                                       https://bestsmeawards.co.uk/

Connect with Nellie:  https://www.awaywills.com/

                                  https://www.nelliemcquinn.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/away-wills/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570424698308

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awaywills

X:     https://x.com/AWAYWills