I have been looking at available hospital beds and to be frank, I believe those responsible for failing to do anything when we clearly knew the scale of the issue in Wuhan, will end their days in prison for mass manslaughter. We need an order of magnitude more hospital beds than are available, and particularly intensive care beds. With beds about 1 in 50 of those infected may die. Without beds, it could be 1 in 25 or higher and will turn a huge tragedy into mass slaughter.
There may be strategies to avoid infection, but complete isolation for perhaps the year it will take to develop a vaccine is impossible. It seems there is really very little we can do except wait to the deaths and the trials of those responsibel. Therefore today I hastily prepared a “last will and testament”. Since there is nothing at all complicated about this and it may be of use to others, I thought I would publish a depersonalised version. I make no guarantee that it will stand up in court, but it is what I have had witnessed today and at least it is something. This will is intended for a married person with children without anything complicated like a business or ex spouse or illegitamate children.
THIS IS THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT of <full name>
of <address>
1. I revoke all my previous wills and codicils
2. To receive any gift or property under this will a beneficiary must survive me by thirty days otherwise it shall be interpreted to have the effect it would if they predeceased me.
3. Beneficiaries of my estate will receive a share of all my property and assets not specifically bequeathed or otherwise required for the payment of any debts owed, including but not limited to expenses associated with the probate of my will, payment of taxes, funeral expenses or other expenses resulting from the administration of my will
4. If she survives me I give all of my estate, or that part she chooses, to my wife and appoint her sole executor
5. For my remaining estate I give it divided equally to my children <names> and if my wife does not survive, I appoint them joint executors
6. If any of my children do not survive me or the gift to them shall fail for any other reason, their share shall be divided amongst their children, and if they do not survive, likewise to their descendants, if my child has no descendants, then their share shall be divided likewise amongst my other living children or similarly to their descendants, and if I have no living descendants, then my estate shall be divided amongst my children’s closest living blood relatives, excluding my own generation and any previous generation (where closeness is counted by the number of steps in familial generation up to a common ancestor and down to the relative)
7. Should there be other dependents, such as spouses of my children, which are not known when writing this will, then the executors may at their discretion, and as they see fit, make provision for these from within the appropriate share, providing the beneficiary agrees to sign a legally binding agreement that protects the inheritance so that any family heirlooms and substantial share of the estate is inherited by those who would otherwise have inherited the share as set out above
IN WITNESS whereof I have signed this my will this day of [month year]
Signed by the said as his last will in the presence of us both being present at the same time who at his request and in his presence and in the presence of each other have hereunto signed our names as witnesses
[Signature of testator]
[Signature of first witness]
[Name, address & occupation of first witness]
[Signature of second witness]
[Name, address and occupation of second witness]
