Ethics

Is it entirely altruistic to execute a will, because any property transfer or other consequence of having (or not having) a will would not be experienced until after the testator's death?

Comments

Suppose Will writes a will, disinheriting his children out of small-minded spite and leaving all his wealth to Bill, who already has more than enough money and no significant connection with Will. Doesn't sound altruistic to me! And even though Will won't be around to watch his children's faces when the will is read, Will might well get a passel of perverse pleasure playing the scenario over in his mind while he's yet among the living.

So no: exectuting a will could be an act of pure nastiness, not least because the very act of composing it has psychological consequences for the testator in the here and now.

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