Wills

Why Make A Will?

There are a lot of reasons why people put off making a Will. For many people, the very idea of making a Will is something they just do not want to think about because it means thinking about death.

You may think that making a Will is too expensive, or that you do not have time to visit a solicitor. You might even believe that you do not have enough property to make having a Will worthwhile.

It is very common to want to put off making a Will, but sometimes things happen that make us think more about what would happen to our loved ones when we die. Being diagnosed with a serious illness, going through a separation from your partner or having a new baby in the family can all be reasons to finally take the plunge and make a will. Or you might just decide to get a Will written to give you peace of mind at last.

There are plenty of benefits to making a Will, for example:

• You can make sure that your loved ones receive all of the money or property you want them to receive.
• You can reduce the amount of inheritance tax paid.
• You can appoint a guardian to care for your children if they were orphaned.
• You can give particular items or keepsakes of sentimental or financial value to named people.
• You can donate money to charity.
• You can tell your loved ones whether you would like to be buried or cremated (this can be a difficult decision for them to make if they do not know).
• You can make sure that your children inherit from you even if your surviving spouse re-marries.
• You can provide for a disabled person in a way that will not affect their benefits and will not put them at risk of being taken advantage of by dishonest people.
• If you are living with someone but are not married, you can make sure they are able to stay in your house if you died and receive whatever inheritance you want them to have.

What If You Do Not Have A Will?

Your loved ones can face serious problems if you die without making a Will. If you do not have a Will, your estate will be dealt with under the rules of intestacy. Depending on the value of your estate, that could mean that your spouse could suffer financially and does not receive everything if you die even though they are your next of kin.

If you are living with your partner but are not married, it is important to know that there is no such thing as a ‘common law wife/husband’ and no matter how long you have been married your partner will not normally inherit. That could mean that your next of kin could force your partner out of their home.

If you have children and do not appoint a guardian for them in your Will then if they were left orphaned there would be nobody to do things like sign medical consent forms for them. If a member of your family took them to live with them, they would be classed as private foster carers and be subject to inspections by Social Services.

How Irwin Mitchell Can Help You

We have a great deal of experience in writing Wills and the tax planning that is sometimes needed. We have written more than 500,000 Wills so far and our specialist team will be able to talk you through the different options that you might want to include in your Will.

We know that sometimes making a Will is not easy and that you want the whole thing to be dealt with quickly and painlessly: we can certainly do this for you. Whether you have a very simple family structure and simple wishes for your Will, or if you have a very complicated financial and family set up, we have the knowledge and experience to advise you and prepare your Will.

If you are concerned about the cost of making a Will, we have options for you to choose from: by post or by appointment. Whatever option you choose, we will prepare a Will that covers all of your wishes. We can easily address any of your concerns or questions about your estate.

Wills by Post from £174

• Questionnaire issued for completion
• Suitable for levels of complexity of instructions
• Professionally bound tamper-proof Will
• Storage options

Wills by Appointment from £345

• Face to Face meeting either at one of our offices or at your home
• Experienced team members to take instructions
• Professionally bound tamper-proof Will
• Assistance with signing if required
• Storage Options