Make a Will

Posted on 07 Jan 2016

As January 1st dawned many of us will have spent time making a list of ways we can improve our lives. In fact statistics suggest that 95 per cent of Britons made at least one New Year’s resolution on the stroke of midnight.

However, within a week 48 per cent of people will have given up and 88 per cent will have returned to their old ways by the end of January.

One New Year’s resolution you can make and keep however is to make a Will.  Rebecca Robinson of the Private Client Team who specialises in preparing Wills for a wide variety of clients said of the Will making process: “the process can be quick and easy and the first stage is as easy as picking up the telephone to make an appointment with your solicitor.”  Talking about who should make a Will she said “whether you are a 22 year old marathon runner or are preparing to retire, you should be thinking of putting a plan in place to protect your loved ones in the event of your death.”

Once you have made that appointment with your solicitor, the Will making process can be a lot more straight forward than many people think. Often people put off making a Will because they think it will involve answering lots of complicated questions and they find this daunting.

However, the information required for making your Will can be summarised under 6 key headings:
1. List what you own (property, savings, insurance policies etc.);

2. Family details;

3. Decide who gets what – think about gifts of specific items as well as who might benefit from the remainder of your estate;

4 Executors- these are the people who ensure that your wishes are carried out. You can choose whoever you want but you should think about someone you trust and also that you choose at least two people to cover situations where one may be unable or unwilling to act;

5. Guardians – if you have minor children, a Will enables you to name who you would like to take care of them should both of their parents die;

6. Any other wishes you may like to specify, such as funeral wishes.

Once you have detailed all of the above, your solicitor will be able to advise how they can draft your Will to reflect your circumstances – your part is essentially done for now – until you receive a draft to approve and then are invited to sign your Will.

So, instead of looking at making a Will as a daunting and stressful experience, look at it as a way of reviewing your affairs which can often result in a renewed enthusiasm for the future!

Make 2016 the year you make your Will!

To start the process, please contact us and ask to speak with a member of our Private Client Team.