Novelist's legacy lesson

Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium” novels will be on the reading lists of many Kiwis this summer. The adventures of Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander are gripping stuff.

The author himself had a life almost as interesting as his characters’, but his sudden death in 2004 left some unanticipated loose ends – and is a cautionary tale for us all.

Larsson did not leave a written will, so his inheritance went to his father and brother, leaving his partner of 30 years with nothing (they were unmarried and under Swedish law his family took precedence). Presumably not what he had intended.

While perhaps Larsson may not have anticipated he would have had such a great wealth to leave behind (the three novels have sold millions since his death and there’s a movie on the way), some more careful planning could have prevented this unsatisfactory ending.

So the moral of the story is – everyone needs to make a will. You need to do it right, and you need to review it regularly.

Here’s some more on the subject from Sorted’s Wills page:

If you die without a will, the law decides who (from among your family) gets your assets. They may be divided differently to the way you would have wished, and the process may also take longer and be more expensive.

Wills should be drafted by someone with experience, including in taking and working with will instructions. They must be signed and witnessed - if the proper procedures are not followed a will may not be valid.

Not an easy topic to think about, but better now than never…