Contemplating the circumstances and needs of your loved ones when you are no longer here to care for them may not be something that any of us wish to consider.
It is essential that you should consider making a Will for the following reasons:
- The commonly held misconception that if you are married, or in a civil partnership, you do not need to make a Will as everything you own passes to your spouse, or partner when you die, is not true.
- If you die without leaving a valid Will your assets are distributed in accordance with a set of rules – the Intestacy Rules – which is the Common Law attempt to anticipate what your intentions would have been had you made a Will. These Rules may not necessarily coincide with your own wishes.
- If you are unmarried you will not inherit any of your partner’s Estate unless they had a valid Will in existence.
- Should you have children under the age of 18 then a valid Will is essential to appoint a trusted friend or relative to look after their inheritance and a Guardian to look after them in the event of both parents dying.
- You can make gifts to non-relatives who would not otherwise benefit under the Intestacy Rules.
- Expert advice on drafting a Will could save you tens of thousands of pounds in unnecessary Inheritance Tax payments.
- Specific direction as to cremation, or burial, or the donation of body parts for medical purposes can be made.
- Detailed provision can be made to protect and provide for vulnerable, or disabled loved ones.
- A significant increase in claims against Estates under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975 has seen individuals specifically excluded from Wills bringing successful claims for financial provision against the deceased’s Estate.
- Seeking specialist advice when making a Will could significantly reduce the likelihood of a successful claim being made against your Estate.
If you have any concerns regarding the above issues then a Will is essential. Making a Will need not be time consuming and can actually be fun to do. Its nominal cost is insignificant in comparison with the cost, expense and distress that can be caused to those left behind when there is NO WILL.
Our sensitive staff will ensure that you face up to your responsibilities of leaving clear instructions to your loved ones, whilst making the experience an enjoyable one.
We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we/I have provided then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.
In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this stage. If you would like to make a formal complaint, then you can read our full complaints procedure here. Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour. This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.