Will Writing

Making a Will is often something people don’t bother with until they are older or have children. But once you reach the age of 18, you should seriously consider writing your first Will. Although many young people don’t think about making a Will, it is a good idea to have one in place so that

When making a Will, it is possible to leave someone a life interest in your property or assets. It may be more prudent in certain circumstances to leave your spouse or partner a life interest in your assets rather than giving them outright ownership. In particular this can be advantageous if you want to make

If a Will has been mislaid or inadvertently destroyed, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Probate will not be granted. When someone dies, their executor is responsible for sending the Will to the Probate Registry. The Grant of Probate issued by the Registry is the document which gives the executor the authority to collect in the

There are certain restrictions as to who can make a Will, including age and capacity. In England and Wales you generally need to be 18 before you can make a Will. It is always advisable to make a Will once you reach that age, even if you feel you might not have anything much to

There are an estimated 51 million pets in the UK, but only a small proportion of them are mentioned in their owner’s Will. In England and Wales, pets are considered to be the property of their owners and as such, can be left to someone in a Will. The RSPCA estimate that there are 12

Research carried out by Direct Line Group has found that 25% of people who are married or co-habiting don’t know where their partner’s money is. This could cause problems in the event that someone dies. If the extent and whereabouts of their assets isn’t known, the administration of their estate could be delayed for a

We are delighted to announce that Rob Phipps has won this year’s Institute of Professional Willwriters’ National Will Writer of the Year award. Rob received the award yesterday at the IPW Annual Conference & AGM at the Drayton Manor Hotel in Tamworth. This is a huge honour which recognises Rob as one of the top

Not many people realise that when you get married, any Will you already have usually becomes invalid. The law states that marriage automatically voids a Will unless it specifically makes reference to the new marriage. This is called making a Will in contemplation of marriage, and the Will needs to specifically name your new spouse.

If a parent marries a new partner, there is a risk that existing children could miss out on their inheritance. Marriage automatically revokes any Will, unless it was specifically made in contemplation of marriage, mentioning the new spouse by name. This means that if someone with children gets married, they should always consider making a

If you believe you are entitled to something from someone’s Will, you may be able to make a claim, but beware of the time limits. If a relative dies and you have not inherited what you feel you have a right to, you may be able to make a claim under the Inheritance (Provision for