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Making a will...

Rich or poor - a Will is an essential part of sensible planning but, most of us do not get around to writing one. Whether you are married, single, divorced, with or without children, living together or widowed, you will need a Will.

Two thirds of people have not made a Will!
Are you one of them?

None of us want to contemplate dying and thiking about a Will seems almost as bad,   so many of us just don't bother. We tell ourselves "I haven't got much to leave, and its obvious who'll get it, so I wont go to the trouble and expense of sorting it out"

If only it were that simple!

Most people automatically assume that all their possessions will automatically pass to their spouse or other members of the family. Unfortunately, many families often face immediate financial hardship and sometimes even have to sell the family home - simply because no Will has been made.  

If we have children, we are confident that we'll always be there to provide for them while their young and leave them a nice nest egg when we've gone. In reality, the only certainty is that dying without a Will adds to the burden of grief for those you leave behind.

If you do not make a Will...

If you die without leaving a Will, the law will decide how your assets are shared amongst your relatives. This can sometimes mean that your valuables and wealth will not be left to those people you would have preferred or, perhaps, that your surviving spouse or partner is left with a home but no money to live off.

Only by making a Will can you guarantee that your money and possessions will be distributed in accordance with your wishes, rather than according to the rules that govern everyone who dies "intestate" (i.e without making a Will).

With a professionally prepared Will, you gain all the opportunities of passing on specific gifts to individual family members, friends or even favourite charities.  

Those with young children can state who they would prefer to look after their children in their place and have the choice of friends or relatives to carry out all the instructions as they would wish.  

For those with assets of a higher value, a Will is essential for Inheritance Tax Planning and gives a very real chance of reducing the amount of the estate that has to be handed over to the tax man.  

With the rise in property values we have all enjoyed in recent times, many of us may have estates worth far more than we could have imagined.  

Remember if you marry or enter into a civil partnership, any Will you have made is automatically revoked and becomes invalid. You should also bear in mind that if you separate the partner may still remain entitled to some of your estate.  

Make your own decision with your assets. There is no better time to take one of life's most important steps in sensible, long term planning.  

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