An appointment to take instructions to prepare your Will typically lasts for approximately 1 hour. Following this, we will endeavour to send your Will within 28 days. Should you require your Will sooner we also offer a Fast Track Service for an additional charge.

You may make a Will if you are over the age of 18 years and of sound mind.

Although you are entitled to write your own Will, you are strongly advised not to unless you possess the legal training to do so. Many problems can arise, simply from using incorrect terminology. Inevitably, any errors made will not be discovered until after your death, at which point it is too late to correct them. This can result in emotional distress and financial loss for your family, or worse the Will could be invalid altogether.

There are many websites which offer will-writing services, however this is not advisable unless your Will is particularly straightforward. Writing a Will online normally means you are receiving general advice rather than specific advice based on your individual circumstances.

Yes, a Will is an individual document. A pair of similar or matching Wills which carry the same provisions are called a “Mirror Will”, WSL provide this service at a discounted price. Getting married or remarried cancels a previously written Will, unless the Will clearly states otherwise.

Yes, but they must not be a witness of your Will. Quite often the Executor is one of the main beneficiaries.

You may leave any part of your estate to a child, however they will not inherit until they reach the age of 18. The funds are held in a Trust, which becomes accessible when they reach this age. Prior to which, the Trustees decide how much of the estate may be used for the benefit of the child, e.g to pay school fees.

Should you wish your child to inherit at a later age, you can specify as such within your Will.

If you have children under the age of 18 we strongly advise that you use your Will to officially appoint guardians in the event of your death. They will raise your children and provide for them financially. We understand that this can be one of the most difficult decisions you face when writing a Will, however this is the only opportunity to officially nominate someone. Failure to make the necessary appointment could result in a court making this decision for you.

When appointing Guardians it is important to remember:

• You should appoint someone who is unlikely to be elderly or infirm by the time that your youngest child attains his or her majority.
• You should always seek the Guardian’s consent before you consider appointing them.
• If you are separated or divorced and the other parent has parental responsibility, the appointment for a Testamentary Guardian will not come into effect until the surviving parent dies.

You should also be aware, if a mother is not married to the child’s father, or the father’s name is not on the birth certificate, then the law does not give him any rights as a parent or guardian should the mother die first. The mother would need to appoint the father as the first chosen guardian within her Will.

If you wish to leave an inheritance to a vulnerable beneficiary they risk losing their state benefits until the money runs out. To protect them in the event of such, you can create a discretionary trust within your Will. A discretionary trust is when you appoint a Trustee, who is given the discretion to distribute the inheritance to your beneficiaries. The beneficiaries have the potential to inherit but not the right, and therefore a vulnerable beneficiary would not be required to declare the inheritance.
The trustee uses their discretion to make the funds available when required.

Creating a trust is largely dependant on your individual circumstances. Trusts have been used for generations to protect vulnerable beneficiaries or the assets of your estate. The trustees which you appoint within your Will are responsible for managing the trust or property until it is inherited by your beneficiaries. Most recently trusts have been used as tax-planning tools, and although there have been some recent changes in Inheritance Tax Legislation, such discretionary trusts are considered by most experts as worth including in Wills for married couples.

Gifts to beneficiaries can include items of sentimental value or heirlooms. They can also be specific amounts of money, otherwise known as a pecuniary legacy. These can be left to loved ones or a charity. You can index-link pecuniary or cash gifts ensuring that they keep their value over time.

If you choose to leave money to a charity, your solicitor will check it’s name, address and registered number to ensure your gift is received correctly. Gifts made to a charity could also reduce your tax burden. You could also avoid inheritance tax altogether by pledging to give everything above the Inheritance Tax threshold to charity.

Your Will allows you to clarify whether it applies to overseas property, or just those in the UK. Often a Will covers property worldwide, however some people prefer to use a Will to cover every jurisdiction.

If your affairs are particularly complex it is advisable to seek the advice of an overseas property specialist.

You can change your Will at any time, assuming you have the capacity to do so. WSL recommends that you review your Will every five years or after any major life event such as birth, death, marriage, registered civil partnership, divorce, separation, dissolution of a registered civil partnership or moving house.

Even factors outside of your control may give reason to update your Will, for example the rapid growth of house prices over recent years.

There are many other reasons to update your Will:

• Marriage/divorce: all or part of your old Will will be invalid
• Unstable marriage or partnership
• Grandchildren grow older and couples/person wants to benefit them in their own right even if the “Residue” from the Will still passes to their parents.
• Decision to raise the age at which children/grandchildren inherit the estate, because they are deemed unable to cope at 18.
• Choice of Guardians needs amending – original appointments are no longer viable, or school requirements make local Guardians necessary.
• Arrival of children makes appointment of Guardians necessary for the first time.
• Need to assure housing situation of an adult child who has not left home or has unexpectedly returned.
• About to go on holiday, especially long haul and/or imminent surgery/illness.
• Maturity of child; leaving them a large amount of money might not be appropriate, so leaving funds in a Trust might be advisable.

Under our lifetime service, WSL will remind you on a regular basis as to when you need to review your Will, and you will be able to do so free of charge.

Your Will is automatically revoked (cancelled) when you marry, and you will need to write a new one. If your Will was written “in contemplation of” the marriage, you can include a statement which specifically states it is not to be revoked by your intended marriage.

Once divorced, your Will remains valid and will not be revoked. However, for the sole purpose of the Will, your former spouse is treated as deceased and therefore any gifts made to them or appointments as executor or trustee, become ineffective.

A Will is cancelled or revoked by any of the following:

• If it is deliberately destroyed by you.
• A subsequent will is prepared.
• Marriage as a general rule can revoke a will.

Upon a divorce, the former spouse is treated as having died before you, and therefore any gifts made to them as a beneficiary would not be honoured. Even so it is advisable to review your Will every few years to ensure it is kept up to date.

Not necessarily. The government has capped the amount which your spouse will inherit, should you die without a Will. The remainder of your estate may be passed to your children, parents or other family members. A Will ensures financial support to the extent of your wishes.

Unless you are married or joined in a civil partnership, the law of intestacy will make no provision for your partners. If you wish to provide for them financially, it is essential that you make a Will.

Only biological children and legally adopted children are provided for if you die without a Will. Any step-children you have will get nothing according to the rules of intestacy. A Will enables you to provide for anyone you wish.

Although not compulsory, we would recommend that you provide for alternative beneficiaries in the event that your main beneficiary is not alive to receive the gift.

When dividing up your estate, it is wise to keep all gifts of money to small proportions. This is due to English Law whereby all such gifts are paid out first, which can be unfair to whomever is to receive what is left.

The value of your estate could also be worth considerably less upon your death, than when you made your Will. Therefore by gifting a small sum, they are unlikely to receive less than you had wished.

We recommend that you keep the value of the gifts to a small proportion of your estate. It is important to remember that your beneficiary will have to pay the cost of transportation, which can be a considerable amount if the beneficiary lives overseas. It is also important to provide a detailed description of the item in question, to the extent that an independent person would be able to identify the item without question. You could even take a photo of the item, label accordingly and include within your Will for further clarification.

As of April 2009, the amount you can leave before paying IHT (also known as the “Nil Rate Band”) was capped at £325,000. If you are married or joined in a civil partnership you may be able to use your partner’s Nil Rate Band, meaning you could therefore leave a total of £650,000 before IHT is payable. Anything above this amount is taxable at 40%. In April 2017 an additional Residence Nil Rate Band was introduced. The current value of the residence Nil Rate Band for qualifying estates is £135,000 therefore a married couple or civil partnership could leave a total of £900,000 before IHT is payable.

WSL Ltd are able to act as executors of your estate should you wish. Unlike most Banks and Solicitors, who will also offer this service, if we are appointed to act alongside family members there is no obligation for them to utilise this service. We will always provide them with sound advice and guidance, without any commitment.

By law you are able to store your Will wherever you choose. It is extremely important, however, that your Will is kept in a safe and secure place. Upon your death, you executor will need access to your Will as soon as possible, so it is also important that they know where it is being kept.

If you decide to store your Will with WSL, you will be sent a copy for safekeeping. Your Will is only accessible by you or your Executor. When the Will comes into force, your Executor will need to produce a Death Certificate in order for us to release the Will.

You are not required to tell anyone about the existence of a Will, however we would advise you to. It is especially wise to tell the executors of your Will, and keep a copy in a safe place for them to access when the time comes. We are able to store your Will for you should you wish.

In order to be legally binding, a Will must be signed, dated, and witnessed correctly. Once you have approved your Will, we will send you the final version to be signed, along with clear signing instructions. An incorrectly signed, dated, or witnessed Will will be invalid.

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Yes, a Civil Partnership is a legal entity and therefore the same Property Protection and Inheritance Tax rules apply as for a married couple.

An LPA does not restrict your rights to look after your own affairs for so long as you are capable. The Lasting Power of Attorney simply means that there is someone to take over if, and when, you cannot cope.

No, you can have both or either depending on your circumstances. If you are unsure whether you should consider arranging either a Property & Financial Affairs LPA or a Personal Welfare LPA (or both) you can speak to one of our advisors.

No, you can appoint different people for each type of Lasting Power of Attorney.

You can choose more than one Attorney and you can specify whether they are to act together or independently of one another. You can also appoint a replacement Attorney if your first choice is unable to act.

Yes, you can limit the powers an Attorney is given and if you wish you can include specific guidance to help them in making their decisions.

When deciding who should be your Attorney it is very important that you choose someone you trust. Your WSL Legal Consultant will give you expert advice on how to structure your Lasting Power of Attorney to suit your specific needs.

You are required to have an interview with an authorised Certificate Provider to confirm that you are fully aware of the implications of making a Lasting Power of Attorney. Your WSL Legal Consultant is able to fulfil the role of Certificate Provider for you.

Your Attorney cannot act on your behalf until the Lasting Power of Attorney has been registered with the Office of the Public Guardian. Your Lasting Power of Attorney can be registered at any time, however in order to be prepared in advance, most people register it straight away. WSL can assist you with the registration process.

For more information about Lasting Power of Attorney request our Free Guide to Lasting Power of Attorney.

Someone who is appointed by law to settle your affairs if you die without a Will.

A person or organisation who receives benefit from a Will or Trust. You may make gifts of property or a specific sum of money, and you are free to benefit whomever you choose. You can also divide your estate into shares and leave a percentage to particular individuals, e.g “50% of my residuary estate to my two children…”

A gift of an object or cash.

Personal belongings like pictures, jewellery, cars and even pets.

With no Will and no next of kin, the Crown inherits your Estate.

Usually the country in which you live; however, if you or your parents were born outside England and Wales, or you intend to live permanently outside England and Wales, you should consider taking legal advice.

The assets that you own which can be left under your Will, less any outstanding commitments. There are items which may not be left under your Will (see Joint Property). Most pension provisions are not assets which can be left under the terms of a Will or intestacy.

A person or company named in a Will to administer your Estate and to be responsible for carrying out the terms of the Will and settling taxes and debts.

Anyone who is over the age of 18 and of sound mind is eligible. You may have a minimum of 1 executor and a maximum of 4. It is also important that they live in the UK, so do not appoint someone who normally resides abroad, or is likely to move abroad in the future. You may appoint a friend or family member, however you are advised not to appoint your spouse in case you should die together.

You also have the option to appoint a professional executor. This is advisable if you have particularly complex family or financial issues, for example if you have children from a previous marriage, or wish to exclude any family members from your Will.

Directions you can give in your Will regarding your wishes such as details of your burial, funeral services, etc.

A document issued by the Court confirming both the validity of a Will and the Executor’s right to administer the Estate.

A 40% tax payable on larger Estates. (A legacy to a charity is free of Inheritance Tax).

An Estate where there is no Will and the law directs who inherits.

Not having a valid Will or a person who has not made a Will.

This means your children, their children and so on all the way down the family tree.

Under English Law there are two methods of jointly owning property with another. Under a Beneficial Joint Tenancy the entire property passes to the survivor(s) upon death. Under a Tenancy in Common a person’s share of the property passes under the terms of his/her Will (or on his/her intestacy).

A Lasting Power of Attorney is a type of Power of Attorney which remains effective even if the person who gives the power later loses their mental capacity.

A gift that you wish to leave to a person or organisation upon death.

As for a Grant of Probate, but issued to an Administrator.

A person under 18 years of age.

A Will that contains almost identical terms to your Will. Many husbands/wives/partners have Mirror Wills where they have decided upon the same beneficiaries, irrespective of which partner dies first.

The legal process and the document issued to Executors authorising them to administer the Estate. If no Executor has been appointed in a Will then an Administrator is appointed.

Your residue (or residuary estate) is the balance left over once all debts, funeral expenses, tax and gifts to beneficiaries have been deducted. Unless specified otherwise, your residue estate will be subject to the laws of intestacy. You need to decide who you would like to receive the balance of your estate. This is often your main beneficiary, although you can leave the residue to one person or a number or people in equal or unequal shares.

In order to ensure gifts to loved ones or charities keep up with inflation and do not lose their value over time, it is advisable to create a residuary legacy.

Having a valid Will.

The person making the Will.

A written arrangement whereby an appointed Trustee is given money or assets to hold and manage for the benefit of those defined in the Deed which created the Trust.

A company, or individuals, appointed in the Trust Deed to hold the Trust assets and to be responsible for the management of a Trust.

A Will is a legal document which sets out how you wish your estate to be dealt with after your death. For a Will to be valid it must be in writing and comply with certain formalities. A Will states who you have appointed to deal with your estate, as well as who you wish to benefit. A Will can also include your funeral wishes and who you have appointed as guardian(s) of your minor children.

If you and your partner intend on getting married soon, your Will(s) can be made ‘in expectation of your marriage’ which means it/they will be valid before and after the marriage takes place. Marriage would otherwise cancel a Will.

Anyone over the age of 18, who is not a blood-relation, and not nominated within the Will as a beneficiary, executor or otherwise. Next door neighbours or work colleagues are often a good choice.

Two witnesses must see you sign your Will and you must also watch both of them sign it. They must also watch each other sign the Will.