Get a peace of mind will

Most people know that making a will is about wrapping up your affairs and ensuring that your wishes are acted upon after your death. 

Sometimes people will choose an online will but online wills can be full of holes and pitfalls. It is a low-cost option, but we have clients who have seen us after completing this kind of will and they’re anything but robust, and could easily be challenged through the courts. 

With something as important as a will, it is always prudent to seek legal advice. Our solicitors can turn your will around in 2 weeks and our fees are very competitive. It is a time and stress saver for you and your family. 

But first, let’s first discuss the elephant in the room…

What happens if you die without a will? 

If you die without a will, you are said to die ‘intestate’. In this situation, the statutory rules in section 46 of the Administration of Estates Act 1925 decide who should inherit your estate. 

However, these statutory rules might not match your wishes, or even be appropriate to your family’s circumstances. If you do not have any immediate family, the statutory rules could divide your estate amongst distant relatives. These are people you may have had no contact with for many years, or may never have even known existed! 

Why should I make a will?

You should always make a professionally-created will if you have assets to leave upon your death. There are several reasons for this: 

1. A will acts as a statement of your wishes. It avoids the ‘mum wanted this…no, mum wanted that’ debate.
2. It helps provide certainty as to your intentions and this is definitely advantageous, even if the statutory rules referred to earlier already do what you want to do. Don’t leave it up to statute to tell your loved ones what you wanted!
3. Moreover, a professionally drafted will uses industry standard wordings and clause structures, which help avoid interpretation issues that can bedevil homemade wills. 

A professional will also appoints an executor who is a person you choose. They’re often someone that you trust and are confident they will act appropriately during your estate’s administration. They will be in charge of your affairs after your death, without the unseemly ‘rush’ or ‘competition’ to control your affairs. 

When you work with a professional, most wills are uncomplicated.

Your will doesn’t have to itemise everything out to the last detail. It doesn’t even have to leave exact amounts to specific people. You could simply leave your entire estate to successive people, or for various people to receive specific shares. 

A will can become more detailed if you include a trust, for example for minor children and grandchildren until they mature. We’ve handled thousands of such wills. 

Even if you have a complicated estate or family, your solicitor can ensure everything is clear and relatively straightforward. We can advise you about the available options. 

Preparing a will is one of life’s best investments.

Even if you don’t have a lot to pass on, having a legally robust will in place is worth its weight in gold. It ensures your instructions are acted on, and will be so much easier for those you leave behind. Your family will be distraught enough without having to deal with the avoidable problems posed by intestacy, or a poorly drafted or executed online will. So the earlier you can create your will, the better.

At Hutchinson & Buchanan, we charge between £300 and £400 + VAT for a single will, and between £500 and £700 + VAT for two wills or mirror wills (depending upon the length and complexity concerned).

We can handle death bed wills too; call us for details.