Reasons you need a Will

“Your Will is probably the most important document you will ever have written for you.” We admit that this is a bold statement; why is this? In a nutshell, if you don’t make a Will, then the Government has written one for you; it’s called the law of intestacy… but its effects might not be what you would expect or want. If you die without making a Will then at least one of the following will apply.

Five compelling reasons you need a Will

  • It is a common misapprehension that husbands and wives are entitled to everything from each other. They are not. For a typical married couple with children, when one spouse dies, the survivor may not inherit everything, possibly not even the family home.

  • If you are cohabiting partners and don’t have Wills, only members of your own family will inherit your solely owned assets – NOT your partner. Intestacy provides a strict order within your family as to who gets what; there is little flexibility in the law. Take a look at our unmarried couple’s page for further information.

  • Appointing a legal guardian is one of the most important parts of a Will for those with children under the age of eighteen. If you don’t have a Will then Social Services could become involved and appoint a legal guardian for you in your absence. That person might not be your first choice.

  • More and more ordinary people are at risk from paying inheritance tax on their death: money which won’t go to their loved ones. This can be minimised or even eliminated through certain types of Wills, written by a specialist Will writer. We have a page on this site about inheritance tax – please take a look for further information.

  • If there is someone you don’t wish to benefit from your estate when you die then without a Will and access to specialist advice you may not be able to prevent them from gaining an inheritance.

Contact us to discuss how we can help.