Estate Planning and Will Writing
Ensuring that your wishes are recorded in a legally binding document ensuring your loved ones receive everything you wanted them to
What is a Will?
A will is a legally binding document which allows you to record your wishes in relation to your estate after you die.
This includes;
- Who you would like to carry out your wishes (Executors/Trustees)
- Your wishes for your burial or cremation
- Who you would like to be the guardians of any young children
- Who you would like to make any gifts to (this can be for money of items)
- Who you would like to give your estate to and in what shares
This covers the main parts of a Will but there are various other wishes you can include in your Will to record your wishes.
Estate planning is a term used for the planning stage of what will happen to your estate and making various considerations like any liabilities for Inheritance Tax and whether this can be reduced.
Why is it important to make a Will?
A Will is a legally binding document which means that your executor(s) must carry out your wishes as stated in your Will. This allows you to control exactly what you would like to happen to your estate after you die.
What happens if you die without a Will?
If you die without a Will, there are a default set of rules which stipulate what must happen with your estate. These rules are called the rules of intestacy and they will apply to your estate unless all of the people who are to benefit from your estate agree otherwise. Although these rules are in place to allow an estate to be dealt with even when there is no will, it is far better to have a Will so you can choose exactly who received what ensuring that your loved ones receive what you want them to. This will also allow you to ensure that anyone who you do not want to benefit from the estate does not receive anything.
What are the steps in preparing a Will?
We have simplified the process to create a Will so it is as stress free as possible. There are 5 steps to making your new Will;
- We will send a client care pack to you which includes information about our company and an Instructions form to complete and return
- We will take copies of your ID documents and you can make payment for your new Will
- We will contact you to discuss your requirements, provide advice in relation to your requirements and Inheritance Tax
- We will draft your new Will for you to check. We will answer any questions before you sign the Will to make sure you are happy with everything in it
- Signing your Will. Your Will will need to be signed by you in front of two witnesses who will also need to sign the Will in front of you. Once the Will has been signed, it is complete.
Home visits
We offer home visits to accommodate you if you will struggle to visit us. As part of the process, we will usually visit your home twice to complete your Will.
On the first visit, we will provide you with our client care pack and assist you in completing our instructions form. On this visit we will also discuss your requirements and provide advice in relation to your requirements and Inheritance Tax.
We will then prepare your Will and arrange a second visit. On the second visit, we will go over the Will to make sure you are happy with everything in it. We will also supervise the signing of the will to ensure that it is signed and witnessed properly. Signing the Will is an important step because if it is not done properly, the Will will not be valid.
Please complete the Contact Us form and we will contact you to discuss your requirements.