DYING WISH
Statistics show that the majority of people have not written a will. Retired solicitor MATTHEW HUTTON has written a book to help people get their affairs in order before they die, as a gift to leave their loved ones. To mark Dying Matters Awareness Week, which began on Monday (6 May), he explains the value of preparing for death and talks about his own attitude to it Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku
W
HAT gift would you want to leave to your loved ones when you die? Lots of money, some property or perhaps a family heirloom? Retired solicitor Matthew Hutton, who is also a Church of England minister, suggests that the best gift is to leave your affairs in order. ‘One of my friends had been left high and dry by her husband’s sudden death,’ Matthew explains. ‘He was a solicitor, didn’t have a will, had died abroad, and she had been left in a complete mess. ‘She came to a weekend away that my wife and I organised for friends. During the weekend another of our friends, a recent widow, whose husband was a very old friend of mine, suggested that leaving a full record would be a real gift to the family you leave behind.’ That’s where the title of Matthew’s book Your Last Gift originated. The short text – endorsed by Stephen Fry, Rupert Everett and former chairman of the NHS Lord Prior of Brampton – is a detailed guide to what that full record could contain, ending with two checklists and five forms to help people practically.
Matthew Hutton
6 • WAR CRY • 11 May 2024