What happens to my Will if I get married or divorced?  

Another significant moment in your life will, of course, be a marriage or divorce –at these times, it’s vital that you review your Will or put one in place if you don’t have one.  We’ve discussed below the effect on your Will of a marriage or a divorce – if you’re facing one of these situations and would like to chat to us about updating or making your Will, please call us on 0161 749 9000 or contact us here.  

Do I need a new Will if I get married? 

In a word, yes.  A marriage will invalidate your Will and unless a new Will is put in place following your marriage, essentially you don’t have a Will. 

There is one exception to this and that is if your Will has been written “in contemplation of marriage” and the person you are marrying is named in the Will.  Your Solicitor will advise you about this if you are going to be married shortly after making your Will, but it is always a good idea to put in place a new Will as soon as possible after your marriage to avoid any risk of your old Will being made invalid.    

Do I need a new Will if I get divorced? 

In short, probably.  A divorce or dissolution of a civil partnership will mean that, in terms of your Will, your former spouse or civil partner will be deemed to have died on the date that marriage or civil partnership was legally ended. 

This means that if your former spouse or civil partner is named as an Executor or a Trustee in your Will or receives a gift or share of the Estate, all of which are quite likely, then these parts of the Will would not happen on your death.  This may cause problems for the distribution of your Estate, for example if your former spouse or civil partner was the only person to receive a gift or a share of the Estate then this would not happen and your Estate would then be distributed according to the rules of Intestacy which may not be what you want to happen. 

Another point you need to consider is that, before the marriage or civil partnership is legally ended, your Will is valid.  This means that if you pass away before the end of your marriage or civil partnership, your spouse or civil partner will still be an Executor or Trustee and/or receive the gift or share of your Estate.  This may not be what you want to happen so it would be a good idea to consider updating your Will if you are in the process of ending your marriage or civil partnership.   

I want to change my Will or put a Will in place – what should I do now? 

If you’ve just been married or divorced or you’re about to get married or divorced (or if you just need some advice about your Will), feel free to call Leech & Co on 0161 749 9000 for a free, no-obligation chat.   

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In this article, we’ve tried to answer the most common questions we get asked by our clients in relation to dealing with a person’s Estate.  If you’re dealing with the Estate yourself or you’ve instructed a Solicitor to deal with it for you, we have set out in the article the typical stages of dealing with an Estate and what you need to know and do as the Executor or Administrator as well as some of the most commonly asked questions.

What are the responsibilities of an Executor?

When a loved one dies, there are practical, financial and legal matters that need to be dealt with.  If you have been appointed the Executor in a Will, a lot of those matters will fall to you to deal with. It will be your responsibility as the Executor of your loved one’s Will to obtain a Grant of Probate (if one is needed) and then administer the estate.  If there is more than one Executor appointed in the Will you will have to work with them throughout the process.

If there is no Will and you need to administer the Estate, you will be the Administrator, not Executor, and the Estate will be dealt with according to the Rules of Intestacy (see below).

What are the stages of dealing with an Estate as an Executor or an Administrator?

The process of administering an Estate for an Executor or an Administrator can be daunting and difficult because it will have various practical, financial and legal issues to deal with and each Estate will be different with its own particular issues.  

However, dealing with an Estate for an Executor or an Administrator generally has the following stages:

1. Register the death, obtain the Death Certificate and notify the ‘Tell Us Once’ service so that public bodies such as DWP, HMRC etc are notified of the death.  You can find more details about what to do here;
2. Locate and obtain the Will – you will then need to confirm that the Will is valid and that it is the latest Will of the deceased.  You will also need to understand what the will is asking you to do in relation to dealing with the Estate;

If there is no Will, the Estate will be dealt with according the rules of Intestacy.  In this situation, you will not be the Executor of the Estate, you will be the Administrator of the Estate.  You can find out about these rules here.

1. Identify all assets and debts of the Estate by obtaining all paperwork and documents in relation to the deceased’s property, finances, possessions, outstanding Bills and debts etc;
2. Obtain a valuation of the property and any possessions and contact all asset and debt holders i.e. banks, insurance companies, pension providers, utility providers, public bodies etc to confirm the value of all assets and debts;
3. Prepare Estate Accounts confirming all assets and debts and how the terms of the Will are to be carried out and ensure these are agreed by all Executors or Administrators;
4. Prepare and complete the application form for the Probate Registry to apply for the Grant of Probate.  The Grant of Probate is the legal document that gives the Executors the legal authority to administer the Estate.  (N.B. In certain circumstances, you will not need to apply for a Grant of Probate – find out more here );

If there is no Will, the Administrators of the Estate will apply for Letters of Administration rather than the Grant of Probate.  However, the Letters of Administration, like the Grant of Probate, is the legal document that gives the Administrators the legal authority to administer the Estate.

1. Prepare the relevant inheritance tax forms to confirm the value of the Estate and to confirm whether or not Inheritance Tax is payable.  Find out more about whether Inheritance Tax is payable and how and when to pay it here ;
2. When the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration have been obtained, you will need to gather in all assets and ensure that all monies are deposited into an account;   
3. Pay all debts and expenses of the Estate and then distribute the remaining Estate funds to the Beneficiaries according to the terms of the Will or the rules of Intestacy.  If the terms of the Will include specific requests, for example, that a specific item is to be given to a certain person, it is the Executor’s responsibility to ensure that person receives that item;
4. As the Executor or Administrator, you will need to prepare the final Estate Accounts to confirm how the Estate has been administered.  Therefore, throughout the process, you will need to document everything you do, obtain confirmation of payment of bills and debts and obtain receipts for any payments.

This is a very basic overview of the role of an Executor or Administrator and the stages you need to work through to deal with a person’s Estate.  However, there are generally issues you will need to deal with that aren’t covered in this article, especially relating to the Estate Accounts, the application forms and Inheritance Tax forms, so if you get stuck at any stage, it’s always a good idea to obtain the professional advice and assistance of a Solicitor.

Do I have to use a Solicitor to deal with the Estate?

The simple answer is no you don’t, you can deal with the Estate yourself with the other Executors/Administrators.  However, the process of dealing with an Estate can be a complex, lengthy and time-consuming one with multiple stages, forms to complete, inheritance tax issues to consider and different banks, building societies and companies to deal with.  An error at any stage or with the forms can delay the process and administering the estate incorrectly could lead to your actions being legally challenged by the Beneficiaries.

A Solicitor can deal with the whole process or parts of the process for you, they can provide advice throughout and help you avoid the pitfalls, hassle and stress of dealing with the Estate on your own.

Who pays the Solicitor’s costs if I instruct them to deal with the Estate?

The legal fees for obtaining the Grant of Probate or Letters of Administration and administering the Estate are paid for from the Estate Funds and not by the Executor or Administrator.  The way a Solicitor charges for dealing with the Estate and the charges themselves will vary from Solicitor to Solicitor.  However, the Solicitor will discuss and agree the fees with you before starting work.   The Solicitor may charge the Estate a fixed fee, an hourly rate or a percentage of the value of the Estate.

If you would like to discuss your role as the Executor or Administrator and how Leech & Co can help you to navigate the process and assist you every step of the way, please call for an informal, no obligation chat on 0161 749 9000 or contact us here.

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Leech & Co are happy and proud to be involved in such a great community project and we’ve contributed an article to this first issue.  Here it is below, and, as you can see, Matt is talking about Wills, Powers of Attorney and Probate and how we can help you and your family with these matters.  If you or anyone you know needs assistance with these, please feel free to call us for a no obligation chat on 0161 749 9000.

To read online click ‘https://www.connectingtrafford.online/‘ and go to page 6-7

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We can help you with Wills and Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Funeral Plans, Probate and administering the Estate (if a loved has died and you are an Executor).  There are full details on our website – www.leechandco.co.uk – together with Factsheets, Blogs and FAQs to help you understand the issues involved and why these matters are so important.  Below is a very quick guide to help you get started with a plan.

Wills

What happens if you have a Will

Your family will know exactly what your wishes are and these wishes can then be carried out without arguments; your property, assets, savings and belongings will go to who you want them to go to; your family will be protected from legal and tax bills; if you have children under 18, your wishes as to their future will be clear and so can be carried out.

What happens if you don’t have a Will

Your family will not know what your wishes are and so may disagree on what to do adding to their stress at an already emotional time; the law will decide who receives your property, assets, savings and belongings and so these may not to go to who you want them to go to and/or a person who you want to receive something may receive nothing; there may be legal and tax bills; if you have children under 18, you will have no say as to what happens to them when you are not here.

A Will is one of the most important documents you will ever make.  It is vital to have one and it is vital that you get it right so that your future, and your family’s future, is protected.  The relatively small cost now of using a Solicitor to prepare and execute a valid, legally binding Will that will carry out all of your wishes will be a saving in all sorts of ways down the line for you and your family.

Making a will now is a small investment in terms of time and money that will pay off in the long-run for you and your family.  Unfortunately, nobody knows when the time will come so having a Will in place as early as possible will give you and your family peace of mind, legal certainty and financial security.

Powers of Attorney

What happens if you have a Power of Attorney

If you are ever unable to look after yourself or make decisions to do with your health or finances e.g. dementia, a stroke, long-term illness or isolation etc, your family will immediately be able to look after you, make decisions for you so that you are supported financially and looked after in terms of your health and wellbeing; your family will have peace of mind knowing that you are protected.

What happens if you don’t have a Power of Attorney

If you are ever unable to look after yourself or make decisions to do with your health and finances e.g. dementia, a stroke, long-term illness or isolation etc, your family will not be able to access your finances, will not be able to contact your services or utility providers on your behalf and will not be able to make decisions for you to do with your health and wellbeing.

Essentially, your family will be very limited in what they can do for you.  Your family will have to apply to the Court of Protection for court orders to access your finances and make decisions on your behalf to do with your health and wellbeing.  This is a lengthy, complex and expensive process.

Again, as with a Will, a Power of Attorney is one of the most important documents you will ever make.  It is essential that everyone has one in place to protect them and their family should there ever be a time they are unable to look after themselves or make their own decisions.  Think of it like an insurance policy – you hope you never have to use it, but it is better to have it in place and not need it than to need it and not have it.

The relatively small cost now of using a Solicitor to prepare and register a legally binding, valid Power of Attorney that ensures you are protected in terms of your health and finances is far outweighed by the cost of applying to, and dealing with, the Court of Protection and the emotional cost to your family of being unable to look after you.  It is a small investment now in terms of time and money that that will pay off for you and your family in the long-run.

Funeral Plans

What happens if you have a Funeral Plan

The cost of your funeral will be fixed at today’s prices; you will not pay or save more for your funeral than you need to; the cost can be spread over 25 years; the cost of your funeral will be covered in certain circumstances even if you haven’t finished paying for it; your family will not have the cost and stress of organising your funeral as this will all be taken care of by the Funeral Director in accordance with your wishes; you can specify your wishes so your family is in no doubt about the funeral you want.

What happens if you don’t have a Funeral Plan

Your family will be left with the cost and stress of arranging your funeral at what will be an emotional and upsetting time for them; the cost of the funeral will be the cost at the time which may be significantly higher than today’s costs; your family will not know the type of funeral you wanted and so this may become the cause of family arguments and fall-outs.

A Funeral Plan is basically a sensible way to pay for your funeral, to ensure you have the funeral you want at the price you can afford and to avoid family arguments and fall-outs.  It just makes sense to put a Funeral Plan in place as early as possible.  They are available for all over-50s, there is a choice of funerals, costs and flexible payment plans and there are no health or background checks.

How Leech & Co can help you

Leech and Co can help you put in place your Will, Power of Attorney and Funeral Plan.  You don’t have to have all three, but having even one in place will help the future be that little more certain and safe for you and your family.

We can also help you if you’re an Executor for a loved one’s Will with the Probate and Administration of the Estate.  Here is a guide to the steps you need to take – What to do when a loved one dies – a practical and legal guide – but please call us so we can help you straightaway.

If you have concerns about your finances and your future financial plans, we work with a network of trusted, experienced and friendly Independent Financial Advisers who would be able to help you and we would be happy to put you in touch with them.

At Leech & Co, we understand that matters relating to Wills, Powers of Attorney, Funeral Plans and Probate are delicate, emotional and stressful.  We will treat you at all times with compassion, kindness and empathy.  We pride ourselves on being friendly and approachable, we’re good listeners and we will talk to you in jargon-free plain English.  We are here to provide you with expert, professional, legal advice and we work quickly and efficiently to ensure a good outcome for you.

We offer fixed fees wherever possible and flexible payment plans to make our services reasonable and affordable for everyone.

We understand that dealing with these matters is an upsetting and emotional thing to do and it’s something you want to put off and not think about.  However, we aim to make the whole process as stress-free and smooth as possible for you.  Once these documents are done, they’re done and you don’t have to worry about them – you have put in place a plan that will protect you and your loved ones’ future.

Further reading for full details

When can I make a Will? When should I make a Will? Why do I need a Will?

Powers of Attorney – do I need a Power of Attorney?

Funeral Plans – do I need one?

The post How Leech & Co can help you in these uncertain, worrying times appeared first on Leech & Co.

We’ll also talk about the alternatives to using a Solicitor and why you should think carefully before doing your Will and Power of Attorney yourself, either online or with a Will-Writing pack, or using a Will-Writing company. 

Do I need to use a Solicitor for a Will and Power of Attorney?

No, you don’t, but you should do. 

Let’s start with why you should use a Solicitor to make your Will and Power of Attorney.  The main reason is because we’re Solicitors.  This may sound obvious, but this gives you certain guarantees, assurances and peace of mind that you can’t get online or from a pack or from a Will-Writing company. 

All Solicitors:

• Are fully regulated by the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority (SRA) which means we are bound by a strict set of professional rules and guidelines intended to protect you at all times

• Hold full professional insurance which covers you if something should go wrong

• Are bound by professional ethics which means we must always act in your best interests and everything you discuss with us is 100% confidential

• Are fully-trained and we have to ensure that our training and knowledge is constantly being updated

• Are experienced in identifying other areas for which you may need assistance e.g. Funeral Plans, financial advice, family law, employment help, so you receive an all-round service

• Providing Wills and Powers of Attorney are specialists in this complex area of law and can provide you with full advice that is specific to you.

Using a Solicitor gives you the peace of mind and the guarantee that you are fully protected at all times, that you receive the best advice from a specialist, expert, trained professional and that your Will and Power of Attorney will protect you and your family in the future.

On the other hand, a DIY Online Will, a Will-Writing Pack or a Will-Writing Company cannot offer you any of the same protections and guarantees.  In fact, it’s the opposite – if you don’t use a Solicitor, your Will and Power of Attorney may not be valid or it may not do what you want it to do, but you will have no way of knowing this until the documents are needed.  By then, of course, it’s too late.

So, while you think you’ve put a plan in place for you and your family, you may have left them unprotected and uncertain of your wishes. 

Can I do my Will or Power of Attorney myself?

Yes, you can, but you shouldn’t. 

People have made some assumptions about Wills and Powers of Attorney which makes them think they can do them themselves, but these assumptions are generally not right:

Making a Will and Power of Attorney is easy and straightforward

Unfortunately, this isn’t true.  What is true is that they are very easy to get wrong.

It’s definitely true that you don’t know what you don’t know.  So, while you’re completing your online questionnaire or telling the person from the Will-Writing company what you want, you won’t know if there’s a better way of doing what you’re asking, that there are likely to be other things you need to consider, that what you’re asking can’t be done etc.  If you aren’t advised fully and correctly about your options and what can be done, it is likely your Will and Power of Attorney won’t do what you want it to do.

You also won’t know that there are strict rules with how to set out, sign and witness a Will and Power of Attorney – if any of these rules aren’t followed, the Will and Power of Attorney might not be valid.

If you’ve done the whole process yourself or with a Will-Writing company and still think the process is easy and straightforward, you’ve probably not got it right.  (You might need a Solicitor to have a look at it for you and provide some advice or start again.)

Using a Solicitor will be too expensive

There are various prices for Wills and Powers of Attorney provided by Solicitors in the region of £150.00 to £300.00, although some can be more expensive.  If this seems expensive, remember you are paying for the protections and guarantees that are listed above, the experience and expertise of the Solicitor, the all-round care and full advice, the peace of mind, the professional help etc

We’ve all seen the adverts online for Wills for £19.99.  If this seems too good to be true, that’s because it is.  The online Will for this low price will likely have terms that you will have to pay for regular reviews, pay for storage of the Will etc.  These generally come included within the Solicitor’s fees and this is certainly true at Leech & Co.

The online Will also offers you no protection or guarantees at all.  If it’s wrong, it’s wrong and your family will only find that out when it’s too late to do anything about it.  The online, cheap Wills are a false economy and you are likely, in the long-run, to end up paying a lot more for a lot less than if you had used a Solicitor.

Using a Solicitor for a Will and Power of Attorney might seem expensive at the time, but what you are getting is definitely value of money that may save you a lot of money, and save your family a lot of upset and stress, in the long run.

Doing my Will and Power of Attorney myself will be quicker and less hassle

It’s true that if you sit down at your computer and fill in a questionnaire, your Will and Power of Attorney can be produced quickly and the whole process will be fairly hassle-free.  However, for the reasons talked about above, it’s likely the document you have in your hands won’t be worth the paper it’s written on and may cause long-term problems and issues for you and your family.  Again, the time and hassle saving you have made is probably a false economy.  In the long-run, it would have been better to spend a little more time and let a Solicitor deal with all the hassle for you. 

A good Solicitor will minimise the time and effort and hassle for you throughout the whole process.  With a Solicitor, it really will be easier than you think.  The Solicitor does the hard work so you don’t have to. 

For example, at Leech & Co, we will always visit you at your home (unless we are unable to due to reasons outside of our control, for example the Coronavirus) at a time that is convenient for you so you don’t have to come to us.  We also offer fixed fees so you know the price you will be paying before we start working for you.

What you also need to consider with all of the points mentioned above is what would happen if things go wrong with your Will and Power of Attorney – the process then will not be easy or cheap or hassle-free.  See below for full details!

I’m not using a Solicitor to do my Will and Power of Attorney – what could possibly go wrong?

Without the guarantees, protections and assurances of using a Solicitor, including full insurance cover, quite a lot can go wrong.

If your Will does not do what you want it to do, by the time this has been discovered, you can’t do anything about it.  Your property, assets or valuable items will be distributed in accordance with the Will and your family will be left to work out and sort out what happens with your funeral, any items not included with the Will etc.  If a member of your family does not agree with the content of your Will and believe it does not carry out your wishes, they will have to take legal action to try and correct it.   

If your Will is found not to be valid, again, you won’t be able to do anything about it.  Your estate i.e. your property, assets, valuable items etc will be distributed in accordance with the rules of Intestacy.  These are unlikely to carry out your wishes and/or they are unlikely to be the best way to deal with your estate. 

If your Power of Attorney is not correct, invalid or not registered correctly or in time, your family will have no choice, but to apply to the Court of Protection for assistance in dealing with your property, finances, health and welfare.  This is a lengthy, complex and expensive process.

The aim of having a Will and Power of Attorney in place is to make sure your wishes are carried out, you are looked after and your family is saved the upset, stress and expense of dealing with matters without any assistance from you or the protections these documents provide.  However, if anything goes wrong with your Will or Power of Attorney, this is precisely what will happen. 

It is simply not a risk worth taking, for you or your family.  Using a Solicitor to make your Will and Power of Attorney removes that risk and gives you the peace of mind that things won’t go wrong.  Even if something does go wrong, for whatever reason, you and your family will be fully insured.

You’re a Solicitor, so you would recommend using a Solicitor, wouldn’t you?

Well, yes, but that’s because we genuinely believe it’s best for you and your family, for all of the reasons discussed above.  However, if you don’t believe us, Martin Lewis, the Money Saving Expert, talks about the same things we have and makes the same recommendation in his article here

Making a will: free or cheap will writing – MoneySavingExpert

I want to make a Will and Power of Attorney – what should I do now?

We hope we have persuaded you that to use a Solicitor to make your Will and Power of Attorney makes sense and is the best way to do it, for both you and your family.  We have included some articles below about making a Will, Power of Attorney and Funeral Plan so that you can read a bit more about it all if you want to.

However, if you would like a free, initial chat with one of our friendly team about making your Will and Power of Attorney and how we can help you, call us on 0161 749 9000 / 07572 373 813 or e-mail us at leech@leech.co.uk and request a call back.

Further reading:

https://leechandco.co.uk/when-make-a-will/

https://leechandco.co.uk/do-i-need-a-will-if-no-home/

https://leechandco.co.uk/wills-only-old-people/

https://leechandco.co.uk/do-i-need-a-power-of-attorney/

https://leechandco.co.uk/funeral-plans-do-i-need-one/

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The post What to do when a loved one dies – a practical and legal guide appeared first on Leech & Co.

We all know someone who works in the NHS or who is someone’s carer, we all know a teacher or a Police Officer or someone in the Armed Forces.   We also all know how hard they work and how much time and effort they all put in to provide an excellent service to us all.  This is especially true now during this crisis.

We also all know that, unfortunately and for various reasons, times have been tough for people in public service in recent years – funding has been cut, resources are stretched and they are being asked to take on more and more work while their wages are frozen.  They are now being asked to be in the front-line of the fight against the Coronavirus.

Just in our small team, Matt’s wife is an NHS Nurse, Claire’s husband is a retired Police Officer, we have relatives who are teachers and carers, our kids are going through schools and some are receiving Special Educational Needs assistance.   We all appreciate how tough life is for public service workers and we really appreciate the work they do for us all.

Giving back to those who care

At the moment, during this time of crisis, there are now more people than ever around the Country who have stepped forward to help in whatever way they can even though this puts them at greater risk from the virus.  They are the Supermarket workers, delivery drivers, postal workers, refuse disposal workers and many, many more.  They have been rightly called Key Workers and we also appreciate the efforts they are making for us all.

There is now also an army of Volunteers helping Food Banks to stay open, medicines to be delivered, food to be taken to people self-isolating etc etc.

As a Country we are coming together to help each other get through this difficult and frightening time.

Therefore, as a firm, we would like to give something back to all of these people and try to make their hard-earned money go a little bit further and help them make a plan to protect their future and their family’s future.

That is why, for all of 2020, we will offer a 20% reduction to our fixed fees and rates* to all NHS staff, carers, teachers, Police, members of the Armed Forces, Key Workers and Volunteers.  We hope this will make it affordable for them to plan for, and protect, their future and their family’s future.

We can offer assistance with the following:

• Wills
• Powers of Attorney
• Funeral Plans
• Court of Protection
• Probate
• Estate Administration.

N.B. We work closely with several Independent Financial Advisers.  Therefore, if you need financial advice, we can put you in touch with an expert.

Appointments to suit you – at a social distance!

As part of our normal service to our clients, we would always come to see you at home or at work so there would be no need to book an appointment to come and see us.  However, at the moment, due to the Government’s social distancing guidelines, we can only offer telephone appointments.  However, these appointments will be at a time to suit you, your working hours and your shifts.  We offer fixed fees wherever possible and there are no hidden costs.

We are a small, friendly team and we are committed to helping you and your family plan for, and protect, your future.

If you want to find out more about us or about how we can help you, have a look at our website – www.leechandco.co.uk – or call us on 0161 749 9000 /or 07572 373 813 for a free, initial chat.  You can also e-mail us at leech@leech.co.uk to request a call back.

(*does not include Funeral Plan cost)

The post 20% off for 2020 – All NHS staff, Teachers, Carers, Police, Emergency Services & Armed Forces and all Key Workers and Volunteers appeared first on Leech & Co.

Your Will is not just about your assets. Your Will can also confirm your wishes about all sorts of other things, from who do you want to be guardian to your children to who will look after your pets to what songs you want to be played at your funeral.

Also, you simply cannot know how much you will own or how much you will be worth when you die. You may have a few hundred pounds now, but by the time you die you may have much more. It’s amazing how much stuff we can end up with – you just don’t know what we will have in our life, but you need to say which loved one you want to have it when you die.

You also need to consider that you may not have much in your lifetime, but there may be sums that are due to you when you die, for example pension payments, death in service pay-outs, insurance payouts, compensation etc. These can all be taken into account in your Will and distributed in accordance with your wishes.
It is not only you that you need to consider when thinking about a Will. After your death, it will obviously be a difficult and upsetting time for your family and loved ones. However, even if you only have a bank account with a few hundred pounds in it, having a Will in place makes this time a little less stressful for your family and loved ones because they know exactly what to do to make sure you wishes are carried out. After the death of a loved one, it can often happen that the family falls out over who gets the smallest amount of money or a relatively trivial item, such as the toaster or a picture. A Will takes all these arguments away because you have made your wishes clear.

A further issue to consider is what you want to happen to your body after your death. If you have clear wishes, make sure you state them in your Will. This will make sure your wishes are carried out, but also will avoid your family falling out about it when you die.

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You really can’t be too careful or afford to wait for too long – nobody thinks their house will flood, but everyone has house insurance just in case. Why would you not get a Will?

It’s sadly true that not everyone lives to a good old age. If the worst happens earlier in life, and you haven’t made a Will, then your property, possessions, money and even your children may not go where you would wish. The older we get, the more we tend to think about what will happen when we’re gone, but it’s dangerous to leave these things to the last minute. What if by the time you think it’s the right time to make your Will, you are no longer able to do so?

People think Wills are only for older people because ‘older people need to think about these things’. This is true and older people definitely do need a Will, but so do younger people. Younger people may be busy with work, their day-to-day family life, their social life etc and so don’t, or don’t want to, consider what would happen in the worst case scenario. A lot of people put off doing a Will because they think it’s morbid or tempting fate or they simply don’t realise how important they are and don’t think they need one.

However, it is younger people, especially those with young children, who perhaps are most in need of a Will. This is so they can confirm who will care for their children in the event that both parents die when the children are under the age of 18.

A Will is not just to take care of children. Any person with a property, money or any possessions at all needs a Will to detail their wishes on what should happen to these things when they die i.e. to support their partner, parents, siblings or friends, a charity, an organisation etc.

If you don’t make a Will then your estate, no matter how small, will be decided by the rules of intestacy and the final outcome may not be what you intended. For example, if you have a partner and are co-habiting, but you are not married or in a Civil Partnership and your assets are held separately, your partner will not receive anything in the event of your death.

Sadly, we don’t know how long any of us have. Wouldn’t you rather get your affairs in order so you family don’t have to sort them out when you’ve gone?

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