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Skip to contentWill Drafting
Making a will and keeping it up to date is one of the most sensible things you can do to protect the ones you care about after your death.
Wills can take care of tax planning and, in certain circumstances, their existence can make a vast difference to your family and friends after you are gone.
Contrary to popular belief it is not an expensive or complicated process but many people put it off. The results of such short sightedness can be devastating for your family.
Without a Will, your assets will pass to various members of your family under what are called 'Intestacy Rules'.
Under these rules, which apply when a person dies without a will, there is no choice at all over how your estate is divided up. There is a set order of entitlement and all that the surviving husband/wife may get is a proportion of the assets. If you are not married but living with a partner, they may not be entitled to any at all!
It is particularly important to have a Will if:
- you are living with someone to whom you are not married or are in a civil partnership
- you have a child or spouse who is in some way handicapped
- you are worried about your children inheriting while they are still young
- if you are a single person without children
- you are worried about Inheritance Tax
To find out exactly what would happen to your estate, see our guide to what happens if you don't make a will.
You can of course write your own Will or buy a pre-printed Will from a shop, but writing a good will is not straightforward and mistakes are easy to make. Your wish to save money in the short term could cost your relations dearly in the future.
Making a will ensures that your assets will be given away as you intend, rather than leaving this up to a set of inflexible rules which divide your estate rigidly between your spouse and your blood relatives - or the State - taking no account of anyone else, such as a partner, friends or charities.
Please contact a member of the team to discuss your individual needs.
Personal Asset Log
It is also useful to keep a Personal Asset Log with your will. This is an essential source of information for your family and executors in the event of your death or accident. It is important you fill this in as a reminder of where your Will & other important papers are kept.
It is not in itself a legal document, but will be of immense use to your legal advisors and loved ones after your death. We therefore recommend that you keep one copy with your Will (held by your solicitor) and one amongst your papers at home.
Please use the link below to complete your Personal Asset Log. Once completed you can print it out, no data is stored or sent via the internet so your personal information remains secure.