Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck has reiterated his call for Jamaicans to make a will to reduce families fighting over ‘dead leff’, which increases the burden on the State to settle estates and contributes to violence in extreme situations.

Chuck, who was speaking at a Legal Aid Council justice fair in Annotto Bay, St Mary, on Friday, September 15, said: “What I want to encourage every single person make sure you have a will, because without a will the rest of your family will fight for what you have that they not entitled to but dead leff creates the most problems across Jamaica.”

The justice minister is urging Jamaicans to visit the Administrator-General’s Department to get the required information on how to make a will.

“When you make a will then the rest of the family on your death they can fight as much as they like but you have stated what they must get. They might disagree with you but they never help you earn most of it so you must decide how you want to distribute it. Believe me, the need to make a will is really important it has nothing to do with your death or how quickly you die, eventually we are all going to die but sometimes death is unexpected and therefore when it occurs make sure you have put your personal estate in proper arrangement,”

JUSTICE MINISTER DELROY CHUCK

Chuck noted that estate planning can help to ease the burden on the Administrator-General’s Department, which is burdened by a huge backlog.

“Each year, we dispose of more than 500 cases but we still have more than 500 cases coming every year, so the backlog just keeps remaining the same even though we are working hard to get it done,” he added.

A will is a legal document that contains an individual’s wishes on how to dispose of their assets to family or dependents after their death.