SIR - I should like to extend my deepest sympathy to the young lady (T&A, December 6) who so recently lost her husband to cancer, and now faces the possible loss of her home, her name not being on the mortgage agreement.

I can only hope that she receives compassionate treatment from the lender.

Unfortunately, this case only highlights the need to ‘sort out the legals’ in good time, and not wait until something bad happens. Many people won’t make a will, for instance, for fear of ‘bringing it on’. ‘It’, one assumes, is death. Sadly, death and taxes are the only sure thing in life.

My husband and I do not have children but have still made our wills, simply to make it easier for those left behind. Even our cat is mentioned and will go to a caring neighbour, along with a sum of money for his upkeep.

It is so very important, especially when children are involved, to make sure that everything is done according to the law, which takes no account in the slightest that a couple love each other and might have been together for years.

If you don’t have a solicitor, ask family and friends to recommend one they trust. But do it now. The loss of a loved one is bad enough. Legal wrangles will only serve to make the heartache worse.

Mrs Cathy MacKay, Bailey Hills Road, Bingley