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Making a will

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  • It helps to prevent your loved ones from the extra stress and potential financial difficulties of not having a will and having to leave it to the law to decide who gets what. This is especially important to think about if you are not married but living with a partner and if you want them to have certain things, such as your home

  • It allows you to detail your personal choices for what happens after you pass away. These could include if you want to be buried or cremated, and if you want to take part in organ donation programmes

  • Details of who you'd like to look after any children you have

  • Details of any money you want to go to charities

  • How you want specific items from your estate dealt with. For example, you may want to make sure a particular person gets your home, or wish to give your engagement ring to your daughter

  • Details of any specific actions you want taken, to try to minimise the inheritance tax you have to pay

    What happens if I don't have a will when I pass away?
    If you don't have a valid will in place when you pass away, you are said to have died 'intestate'.

    This means that the law decides who gets what from your estate, and in the worst case, it could all end up going to the government. There are different rules governing who gets what if you die without a will and what happens, depending if you live in England and Wales or Scotland. Your local solicitor should be able to let you know the exact details.

    If you want to find a solicitor, call the Law Society of England and Wales on 020 7242 1222 or The Law Society of Scotland on 0131 226 7411. Both organisations have websites where you can get more information on wills. Find them at www.make-a-will.org.uk and www.lawscot.org.uk



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