Wills
It doesn't matter what age you are, everyone should have a Will.
You work hard to provide for your family. 27 Million people in England and Wales do not have a Will – make sure your estate goes to exactly who you want it to.
New research shows that that 79% of married couples with children have not made a Will
It is a common misconception that you do not need to make a Will because everything will automatically go to your husband / wife.
If you die without having made a valid Will the law decides who gets your estate. Who gets what depends on the relatives you leave and the size of the estate. A spouse will not automatically inherit the whole of the estate and an un married partner or Unregistered Civil partner will not benefit at all.
If you have children, then everything will not go to your spouse, they would only be granted the first £125,000 under intestacy rules. This may sound like a lot of money, but when you compare it to the value of your property, you can see how quickly problems can arise.
By making a Will you can make sure that your estate goes to exactly who you want it to, in the shares you want. This can avoid family arguments and expense.
Guardians
If you have young children, you should consider appointing guardians to take care of them if you die while they are still young. Even if you have "god parents" we all know that the choice of godparent is sometimes an emotional decision made at a specific time.
This is usually done whilst making your Will.
Without a Will, the law will decide for you
Your Will is your opportunity to let your intentions be known relating to:
- who you wish to act as your executors
- who you wish to act as guardian of your children
- how you would like your funeral to be conducted
- make provisions to reduce inheritance tax
- who you wish to receive your personal items, investments or property. It does not matter if the gift has monetary value like your house, it may have sentimental value.
For more information please see some of our care home leaflets by opening the following file:
Private Clients Leaflets (2.43 MB)
If you and your partner are not married, then it is vital to make a will, otherwise your partner, however long you have been together, may get very little.
It is not unusual for people to separate and not go through a divorce. If you are still married to a previous partner, and you die without making a will, you could find that he or she will inherit, no matter how long you have been apart.
One of the most important reasons for making a will is that it allows you to undertake some planning for the future that can be used to save inheritance tax and so secure the future of your loved ones after you are no longer here.
We have very experienced lawyers to guide you through the most simple or complex matters. Everyone has their own wishes for the future distribution of their possessions and we take great care to ensure these wishes are fulfilled.
