Your frequently asked questions about Wills… answered

With New Year plans in progress, we spoke to Wilson Browne Solicitors about getting your affairs in order with a Will.

Do I really need a Will?

This is the most common question we get asked, especially from married couples as it is often assumed that everything will simply pass to the surviving spouse. However, if you do not have a Will in place, under the rules in England and Wales, you are deemed as passing intestate meaning it is then left to the intestacy rules to determine who benefits from your estate.

Another aspect to note is that un-married partners and co-habitees are not recognised under the intestacy rules and so your partner would not benefit from anything in your estate. If you want control over who inherits from your estate and peace of mind knowing that your wishes will be respected after your death, then you need to have a Will in place.

Do I need a Solicitor to write a Will?

The simple answer is no. You do not need a Solicitor to write a Will and can write one yourself. Whilst these are legal, they can lead to future problems. For example, if the wording can be considered ambiguous it could be contested or if it is not signed correctly it will not be deemed valid. By using a Solicitor to write your Will such problems will be addressed and dealt with at the point of drafting the Will rather than when it’s too late to rectify.

What should I include in my Will?

Your Will should deal with how you wish everything you own to be distributed on your death. This is from the small things such as jewellery, personal belongings and car to the bigger assets such as your property, savings, investments, policies and much more. Within your Will you can state who you wish your beneficiaries to be and the percentage or amount you wish for them to inherit. This can include anyone of your choice from your spouse, children, friends, charities to name a few.

If you now feel it is time to write your Will then contact any member of their experienced Wills & Probate team at Wilson Browne Solicitors who will be more than happy to help. Call 0800 088 6004 for advice and to start the process today. They look forward to meeting you and getting that box on your ‘things-to-do list’ ticked off.

They are running a Purple Monday offer in February offering 20% off Wills.
Contact 0800 088 6004.