Wills

Without a valid Will, the law decides how your estate is shared when you die. This can mean:

• loved ones miss out,
• unmarried partners or friends are excluded, and
• your assets may not pass in the way you intended

Did you know….

• Unless you have included a special provision, your Will will no longer be valid when you get married.
• If you divorce, your Will continues – you need to change it if you wish for your ex not to inherit part or all of your estate.
• If you separate (but don’t divorce), and you don’t have a Will, your ex may still inherit under intestacy rules!
• If you pass away when you have children under 18, and have not appointed guardians, the court may be left to decide who will look after your children.
• If you are married and die without a Will, Your spouse does not automatically inherit everything if you have children. Only a certain amount of your estate will pass to your spouse (currently £322,000) and anything over this amount will be split between your spouse and the children.

A professionally prepared Will:

• sets out clearly who benefits from your estate,
• appoints executors to manage your affairs after death,
• can include instructions about guardianship for children, and
• helps avoid unnecessary family disputes or delays.