Why Have a Will?

• Many people assume that when they die everything they own will be passed to their wife, husband or partner – but this is usually not the case!
• The Laws of Intestacy means that if you die without making a Will, others, whom you may not have chosen, will decide how to distribute and even inherit your assets. In some cases your assets could go to the State.
• If you have children under the age of 18, with no Will in place, the courts will decide who the guardians will be – not necessarily who you would wish.
• A professionally written Will can prevent losing your home to long-term care fees by including suitable Trusts within a carefully written and prepared Will.
• If you are not married your partner will not necessarily gain guardianship of any children or receive any of your estate.
• If you are married but have separated, no matter how long you have been apart, your spouse could be entitled to part of your estate.
• If you have married or remarried any previous Will is invalid.
• If you have divorced and not made a new Will your ex spouse would be notified of your death and could potentially make a claim against your estate.
• In order to guarantee that children are not disinherited through divorce and remarriage or death and re-marriage appropriate Trusts must be written into a Will.
• The costs of administering an estate without a Will are considerably higher than when a Will is in place. The Statutory Laws decide how your estate will be distributed, irrespective of your intentions or wishes and the beneficiaries’ needs.
• Without a Will Trustees are limited in the scope of investments they can make on behalf of minors and a Government official (the Children’s Lawyer) will administer the share for any children under 18.

So, having established that a current professionally prepared Will is essential, please click here or telephone 01603 268 080.