The Importance of Making a Will

Making a will gives you control over where your money and assets go after you die and it can also reduce the amount of tax paid by your Estate.

If you can answer ‘yes' to any of the questions below, you should make a Will:

• Are you married?
• If not married - do you have a partner?
• Do you own a house?
• Do you own anything of value?
• Do you own anything that, whilst not being worth a lot in money terms, has sentimental value?
• Do you have company benefits/insurance policies?
• Do you support a charity and want them to benefi t when you die?

If you die without making a Will the government has laid down strict rules (the Intestacy Rules) which dictate how your Estate must be distributed. This could mean that those you hoped would benefi t might receive nothing at all. In the worst case scenario, all your assets could go to the Government (HM Treasury).

Making a Will made easy

These pages are designed to help you to make or change your Will. They contain information and suggestions that you might want to think about before visiting your solicitor. It will certainly save time when the solicitor draws up your Will. 

• Planning your Will

All the things you need to think about and the decisions you have to make when planning your Will.

• Preparing to see a solicitor

The better prepared you are before seeing your solicitor, the easier the task will be for them and the lower the cost for you. Filling out the form will help you to set out where you want your money and possessions to go.