30/04/2020
A basic will is something that everyone should do regardless of how
much they have to leave. It is the only certain way of letting people
know what you would have wanted, and can prevent potential family
disputes that could otherwise result.
There really isn’t an ‘off the shelf’ will or a ‘fit all’ will. We are all very
similar but circumstances can be radically different from one person
to another. The Wills that we draft will be tailor-made to your specific
requirements.
To give you a brief idea of what can be achieved with a professionally
drafted will, the following information gives you some insight:
For parents, you may know who would be prepared to look after your
children if you were unfortunate enough to die prematurely. They
would almost certainly offer themselves as substitute parents at the
time but the authorities would not necessarily grant them custody. In
the absence of a will they have no guidance from the parents, without
which they would have to make the choice for you. In your Will you
can name your chosen guardians rather than leaving it to chance.
For homeowners, most couples own their property jointly (joint
tenants), which would mean that should one of them die, the survivor
automatically owns the whole property 100%. Sounds OK? – What if
one partner passes away and the survivor remarries and then passes
away? The ‘new’ partner may well own the house and may decide to
sell up and move on or indeed leave it to their beneficiaries in their
Will! This could disinherit your children from what is, certainly for most
of us, our largest and most reliable (and most valuable) asset.
Another ‘what if’ – if you pass away and your partner/spouse, sadly,
in their old age, ends up having to go into a care home. The home can
then be forcibly sold to pay for the care home fees. This is estimated
to happen 100,000 times a year – care home fees can range between
£500-£1000 per week!
