Who’s Who in your Will

According to a recent survey, 55% of UK adults do not have a Will. Are you one of these adults? There are a number of good reasons why you should write a Will, but here we will look at the top five reasons. 1. Without a Will your estate and requests are left to the law. One of the main reasons why you should write a Will is because without one, you would die ‘intestate’. This means that any thoughts you might have had about protecting your children, your assets or your loved ones are ignored, and the Intestacy Laws will apply. These laws decide who gets a share of your estate. Occasionally these laws change… but what does not change is that there is nothing personal about the laws. Nothing that shows true relationships. Perhaps you have also had a disagreement with a relative that you would not wish to leave anything to? Depending on their relationship to you, it could be that they receive money from your estate – money that you would have wanted a wife/husband/civil partner to have had. Click here to see what the Intestacy Rules are currently 2. If you do not have a Will, your children may not be properly protected. If your children are younger and there is a remaining parent, then they will very likely (without good reason otherwise) be their sole parent and care for them. This may not be what you would wish – unfortunately we see many reasons why this is not ideal. In instances where both parents have died and there is no Will, there would be enormous problems for any godparent, family friend, aunt to become their guardians. This would be life-changing for the children in many ways. An enormous amount of distress and upheaval could be avoided with a Will that identifies the most suitable guardians for the children (who may not be relatives). 3. Your wishes can be communicated to your loved ones. When a family member dies it leaves a hole in the lives of others, and in many cases, they are dealing with enormous grief and loss. With a Will, yes you are preparing for your death. But what you are also doing by putting your wishes in place, is making plans to help them as much as you can, and for as long as you can. Your wishes will not only help loved ones financially where your estate allows, but this will also help them through the hard times that they will face without your support. Why would you not want your wishes followed? This is what a Will provides. 4. A Will makes probate and administration of death easier. As well as dealing with their grief, there is probate and the administration of your death which must be dealt with. Much of this work has to happen quickly after your death. Without the instructions in your Will, this is a much harder job to do. Do your loved ones know your wishes regarding your funeral or organ donation? Through your Will, you have the chance to identify people that are willing and able to take care of this work – someone best-suited to being an executor. This might be a business colleague, or a family friend that you know will support your loved ones. Without a Will, there is still a lot of work to do, but it would be a great deal harder. With the express detail of your wishes in your Will, this saves your family a considerable amount of additional distress. 5. It is good practice and the smart thing to do. If you have children, own property, have a pension, life assurance, savings, personal possessions, pets, family mementos, are married, in a civil partnership or divorced… your death will be so much easier to manage, and for your loved ones to deal with if there is a Will. In the same way that it is good practice to have your car serviced and an MOT, to insure your house and contents, to take out a life assurance policy. It is also good practice to write a Will. It is also good practice to review a Will, we recommend no longer than a five year gap between each review. Do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like help with your Will. We are happy to talk and we offer a free consultation to our clients.