Grief awareness: Don't struggle alone through bereavement
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Bereavement will be the most difficult experience you will ever go through in life.
But there is support out there to help you through the immediate impact, but also in the coming months and years as you start to look ahead to the future.
Experienced and trained grief counsellors are the best people to help you find a way through the different stages of bereavement and the complex mix of emotions experienced.
You will feel sadness, anger, and fear, but also perhaps a sense of guilt, resentment or even relief.
You may feel completely numb and it is only later that you experience other emotions.
All these feelings, and others, are normal but they can be distressing and confusing.
You may not feel able to share these emotions and thoughts with your loved ones or friends so it is important to turn to the specialist support services that can really help and advise you.
There are support and bereavement services for families who have lost a child or a baby as well for those who have lost an elderly relative or a partner. There is also help for children and young people who may not not yet fully understand death or are unable to cope with the deep and complex emotions caused by bereavement.
It is important to seek support from trusted sources. NHS inform (www.nhsinform.scot) is a good starting point as the health service has online advice about coping with grief but also lists a number of trusted bereavement support services.
Expert legal advice on hand when you need it the most
There are legal and practical matters to be dealt with following the passing of a loved one, not least dealing with their estate.
The ‘estate’ includes all of the person’s possessions at the time of their death, for example; property and other assets, bank accounts, insurance policies and personal effects.
Usually how a person’s estate will be managed is detailed in their will.
The will directs how assets and possessions are distributed; who are the beneficiaries/recipients of the belongings, what and how much is bequeathed (given to beneficiaries).
This is particularly important where there are spouses, partners, children and family members involved. Often, people will also bequeath sums of money to charities, other organisations, hospitals or hospices, as well as to their loved ones.
A will also contains the details of the executor(s) – the person/persons who have been appointed to manage the estate. This may be a family member or a solicitor.
But if the death is sudden and unexpected, they may not have made one or there is an invalid will (a person dies ‘intestate’).
A solicitors’ executry team can advise you on aspects of your loved one’s affairs – how the estate is to be dealt with as directed by the will or what happens next should there be no will or an invalid will. A solicitor can also assist you in making your own will to ensure that your estate is distributed in the way you wish.
