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Nobody likes to think about what happens after they die. However, working out what you would like to happen to your wealth, property and other assets after you are no longer here and, more importantly, who will take care of any children, pets and other dependents is something that should not be put off for another day.
Last will testament London Making a Will means that you can record your wishes in a legal document about what you want to happen to your estate after your death. You can lay out what you want to happen to property, money, shares, savings investments and cherished possessions, both valuable and sentimental. You can also leave instructions for the ongoing care of any children, dependents or pets. Your executor (the person you appoint to carry out your wishes) will then ensure that everything happens as you have requested in your Will.
Knowing that you have outlined your specific instructions in a legally binding document that has been overseen by experts in the field will give you and your loved ones greater peace of mind. Hopefully, no-one will have to refer to your Will for many, many years, but when the time does come, having your surviving partner, children or family know your wishes will make a difficult time far easier for everyone concerned.
A Will is a legal document that needs to be written in the right way for the law to be properly applied, and the contents both comprehensive and understandable. Choosing a professional Will writing service in London, or wherever else you may be based, is the best way to ensure that your wishes are expressed correctly.
You can choose to visit your Will writer in person or go with an online Will writing service – either approach works well, so long as you are working with a professional company or solicitor with the required expertise and experience in the field.
It is estimated that more than half of the adult UK population have not yet made a Will. Many people are under the mistaken belief that your estate will pass automatically to your surviving partner. If you are unmarried, this will not be the case. Making your Will ensures certainty and removes any ambiguity by providing a legal document that lays out precisely what you want to happen, and whom you wish to receive your worldly goods.
You are required to name one or more executors in your Will. Executors are the people, or organisations, who will manage the process of carrying out your wishes, overseeing the distribution of your assets, money and estate and helping to wind up your various financial and other affairs.
Making a Will also protects your family and means that you can ensure they are looked after, even after your death. You can set out your instructions for the care of any children or dependants who have not yet come of age, are elderly and/or infirm or lack mental capacity to make their own decisions about their future residential and financial arrangements. You can also make sure that they are left sufficient assets to live comfortably, putting money in a trust fund if necessary to ensure its correct distribution over the longer term.
Having a valid Will also avoids the possibility of dying intestate. This means dying without a Will. In this circumstance, there are rules in place for the allocation of your assets, with a strict hierarchy of relatives or interested parties who will take ownership of your estate. If no heirs can be found who are eligible to receive your estate using this process, its value passes to the Crown.
Finally, writing a Will can be a useful way to plan for tax relief. There are schemes in place that help you to maximise how you allocate your estate and reduce your tax obligations legally. Giving to charity, for example, has certain tax-related benefits that a solicitor or professional Will writer can talk through with you. Inheritance tax can take away a large percentage of your estate, so putting steps in place to reduce its impact is a very wise thing to do.
You will have seen cheap and quick Will writing kits in stationers and other places on the high street and online. While these can seem at first glance to be cheaper than engaging a professional Will writing service, they can cause problems further down the line if the contents are not expressed clearly, contravene UK law or are not correctly signed and witnessed.
DIY kits, along with many unregulated Will writing services, are not insured and so don’t provide the consumer protection that would otherwise come as standard with correctly insured professionals offering qualified, regulated legal services.
A Will writing service London solicitor will help you avoid all these pitfalls and more, as well as offer advice on the distribution of tangible assets, such as jewellery, vehicles, furniture and antiques. Using a solicitor can also make updating your Will easier when, for example, new members of the family arrive through marriage or birth, or if you have changed your mind about how and to whom you wish to distribute your estate. They can make sure that the updated version is dated and marked correctly to highlight the fact that it is a more recent version of your wishes.
Your solicitor can advise on the best way to store your Will and how it can be accessed when it eventually needs to be read and acted upon. They can also ensure that any accompanying letters, items or recordings are kept safely with the Will and delivered to the right person at the appropriate time.
Shortlands is a London-based Will writing solicitor’s firm that has many years’ experience in drafting Wills that protect your estate and ensure that your loved ones are looked after. The firm’s team of Wills and probate experts have built up an enviable reputation for excellence, integrity and dedication, which aligns perfectly with their knowledge around tax and trust fund implications.
We can offer a dedicated Will writing service that provides you with expert advice and guidance from your very first appointment right through to signing, storing and, if necessary, reviewing your Will. We take pride in our excellent customer care and attention to detail to ensure that you receive the very best service.
If you have not yet written your Will, would like to review an existing version or have questions around tax relief, trust funds, fees and probate-related matters please call one of our Will writing professionals at Shortlands today to set up a free, initial consultation.
For more information, please get in touch with us by using info@shortlands.co.uk or call us 02076299905 or book an initial online consultation.
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