Will writing solicitors.
A Will is the most reliable way to ensure your estate is passed on to your family and friends as you intend
Wills tailored to your circumstances
If your situation is straightforward, we can prepare a Will that offers a clear and cost-effective way to put your affairs in order.
For more complex estates, we offer comprehensive estate planning to help you protect and enhance the value of your assets. This may include strategies that achieve tax efficiencies and maximise your wealth now and for the future.
If you already have a Will, we can review and update it to reflect any changes in your life, ensuring it always aligns with your current circumstances and intentions.
Why choose us for your Will?
Making a Will is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your family and secure your wishes. Whether you’re preparing your first Will or updating your wishes after a change in circumstances, our team ensures your estate is safeguarded and passed on exactly as you intend. If your Will involves complex family arrangements or business-related matters, our depth of experience and specialist knowledge can provide clear, practical solutions. Whatever type of Will you need, we offer reliable legal advice and supportive, empathetic guidance throughout.
Speak to a will writing solicitor today
Common Will writing FAQs
Why do I need a Will - and what happens if I don’t have one?
A Will is a crucial document – whether you draft it at 40 or at 70. Depending on your stage of life, your Will can include additional provisions beyond the main purpose of distributing your estate according to your wishes. For parents of minor children, it allows them to appoint guardians rather than leaving that decision to the Family Court. For adult children with disabilities, a trust can be established to safeguard their financial and personal needs after your death. And there are many other tailored solutions that can bring real benefits, even for straightforward estates.
Can I just use an online Will template instead of a solicitor?
Using an online template could be a convenient solution, but it’s important to understand the limitations and risks associated with it. There are several key stages in will drafting. A solicitor begins by gathering detailed information about the testator, the nature of their estate, their personal circumstances, and their intentions. By analysing this information, a solicitor can identify potential risks, ask the necessary follow-up questions, and provide solutions tailored to the client’s specific needs. In contrast, online templates rely on a fixed set of pre-prepared questions that may not fully reflect your situation. The signing (executing) of a Will is also a crucial step. If it’s not handled correctly, the Will may be invalid. We often see cases where even with clear written instructions, testators encounter difficulties in executing their Will .
Do my children automatically inherit my estate equally?
No. Children do not automatically inherit equally just because they are your children. Without a will, your estate is distributed according to the Intestacy Rules. Under these rules, your children are entitled to a share, but if you have a spouse or civil partner, they are given priority and receive the first portion of the estate. Whatever remains is then divided among your children. This outcome may not reflect your personal wishes or the way you would choose to divide your estate between your spouse, partner, and children.
Can my Will help reduce inheritance tax?
Yes. A well-structured and professionally drafted will is an important part of estate planning and can help you plan for and optimise Inheritance Tax. Through careful planning, you can make use of exemptions and allowances such as the spouse exemption and the Residence Nil Rate Band, as well as consider structures like trusts to protect assets and support vulnerable family members. A solicitor can help you structure your will effectively and guide you through the available options, ensuring your estate is passed on in a tax-efficient way and in accordance with your wishes.
What should I include in my Will - property, money, guardianship, gifts?
It is possible to include in your Will anything from your estate or personal possessions, provided it falls within the legal framework. Usually, a Will includes:
- Your estate – it could be property, land, bank accounts, savings, investments or shares in a business.
- Personal possessions – jewellery, family heirlooms, collections or pieces of art can all be included in your Will.
- Appointment of guardians – it is possible to appoint guardians for minor children.
- Provision for vulnerable family members – for family members with special needs for example, vulnerable people solutions such as Trusts could help to protect their future and stability.
- Gifts and legacies – specific gifts for family members, friends or charities.
- Funeral wishes – any preferences regarding your funeral arrangements.
What happens if my husband/wife/partner dies without a Will?
If your partner dies without making a Will, in law this is called dying intestate (meaning without a Will). In this situation, the estate will be distributed in accordance with the Intestacy Rules. It is crucially important to understand that these rules can differ from the deceased’s personal wishes and intentions. Intestacy is not always as straightforward as the testator might think. In complex family situations – where partners have children from previous marriages, where couples are cohabiting, where there is a risk of divorce affecting the children’s inheritance, or where the family includes a member with special needs – the Intestacy Rules may distribute the estate in a way that does not reflect the testator’s wishes or meet the family’s needs. Even if a person is not ready to make a Will, it is strongly advisable to discuss with a solicitor the implications of the Intestacy Rules in their particular circumstances. This allows you to understand whether the default distribution of the estate aligns with your intentions and wishes.