We have just bought our first house and need to make a Will. A friend of mine has created a DIY Will using a special pack bought from a local stationery business. Is this something I can do fairly simply?
One thing you can always guarantee is that when somebody intends to make a Will they will claim it is straightforward and simple.
If this were the case then it would be perfectly in order for everyone to simply draw up their Will on the back of a cigarette packet. However, half an hour with a Lawyer specialising in Will drafting will identify many aspects that you may not have considered.
You may well have a good idea of what you want to leave – and to whom – but it is the provisions within the Will that take into account certain unforeseen circumstances or, in particular, people dying in the wrong order, which can often be critical.
Ensuring that provision is made for surviving children, even if you do not have any at the time of making your Will, along with the appointment of Guardians for young children, ensuring that your share of any joint matrimonial assets will actually end up with any children from your first marriage, (and similarly for your wife), and above all else your specific wishes recorded in a legally binding document are all critically important.
Do yourself a favour – and consult a specialist to draw up your Will. In the round it really isn’t that expensive and increasingly we are seeing more and more Estate disputes as the consequences of poor or home-made Will drafting becomes apparent.
* Emyr Pierce is Managing Director of Emyr Pierce Solicitors in Rhiwbina, Cardiff, Western Mail Conveyancer of the Year, specialising in Domestic and Commercial Property. Contact www.emyrpierce.co.uk or email law@emyrpierce.co.uk