What is a will?
Your will tells everyone what should happen to your money, possessions and property after you die (all these things together are called your ‘estate’). If you don’t leave a will, the law decides how your estate is passed on – and this might not be in line with your wishes.
Four reasons why you need a will
- A will makes it much easier for your family or friends to sort everything out when you die – without a will the process can be more time consuming and stressful.
- If you don’t write a will, everything you own will be shared out in a standard way defined by the law – which isn’t always the way you might want.
- A will can help reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax that might be payable on the value of the property and money you leave behind.
- Writing a will is especially important if you have children or other family who depend on you financially, or if you want to leave something to people outside your immediate family.
Your wishes and who carries them out
Your will tells people two very important things:
- Who should have your money, property and possessions when you die.
- Who will be in charge of organising your estate and following the instructions you leave in your will – this person is called your ‘executor’, and you can name more than one person if you want to.
- You can also use your will to tell people about any other wishes you have, like instructions for your burial or cremation.
Your executor will do their best to make sure your wishes are followed, as long as they don’t involve breaking the law.
It might not always be possible for your executors to carry out your instructions.
For example, a person you want to leave something to might die before you do, but if you have a will there’s a better chance of things happening the way you want.
Make sure your will is legally valid
Your will doesn’t have to be on special paper or use a lot of legal language.
A document is a valid will as long as it:
- Says how your estate should be shared out when you die.
- Was made when you were able to make your own decisions and you weren’t put under pressure about who to leave things to.
- Is signed and dated by you in the presence of two adult, independent witnesses, and then signed by the two witnesses in your presence – the witnesses can’t be people who are going to inherit anything from you (or their husband/wife or civil partner.)
How to start making a will
If your family is small and you want to leave everything to them, making your will is fairly straightforward.
If your situation is more complicated – for example, if you have a second family or you want to leave money and gifts to lots of people – you’ll need to plan more carefully.
Either way, don’t put it off – make sure that what you leave behind will go to the people you intended.
Step 1 – Make a plan
Start by thinking about what you want to leave to whom and then talk to your family – they might have some suggestions you haven’t thought of.
Step 2 – Get your will written
There are a number of ways you can get a will written. The best option for you depends on how complicated your wishes are.
Our fixed fees on which no VAT is charged
Our pricing structure is flexible to your individual needs, The prices below are an indication, and our consultants will be happy to talk through tailoring to your individual needs:
| Last Will and Testament – Simple Will (Single Person) | £240 |
| Last Will and Testament – Two Simple Wills (Couples, Mirror Wills) | £350 |
| Last Will and Testament – Will Including a Trust (Single Person) | £300 |
| Last Will and Testament – Two Wills Including Trusts (Couples) | £480 |
| Expression/Letter of Wishes | £60 |
| Lasting Power of Attorney (Property & Financial Affairs) | £195 plus OPG fees of £82 |
| Lasting Power of Attorney (Health & Welfare) | £195 plus OPG fees of £82 |
| Lasting Power of Attorney both documents (2 x LPAs) | £360 plus OPG fees of £164 |
| Lasting Power of Attorney both documents for couples (4 x LPAs) | £480 plus OPG fees of £328 |
| Advance Directive (Living Will) | £195 |
| Document storage | £25 per year |
| Document Retrieval | £20 per retrieval |
| Severance of Tenancy | £150 |
| Call out fee for Emergency Wills | £100 |
All charges include an initial visit to your home, to discuss your requirements and a second visit to supervise the signing of your documents.
Packages
Silver package (for couples) – £600 plus OPG fees (save £135) includes the following:
Mirror wills
Lasting Power of Attorney – Property & Financial Affairs x 2
Document storage for first year – thereafter £25 per annum
Gold package (for couples) – £900 plus OPG fees (save £205) includes the following:
Two Wills Including Trusts (if required)
Lasting Power of Attorney – Health & Welfare x 2
Lasting Power of Attorney – Property & Financial Affairs x 2
Expression/Letter of Wishes x 2 (if required)
Document storage for first year – thereafter £25 per annum
Secure document storage
Your will is an important document which can be easily lost or invalidated. A lost or invalid will means no will. We offer a service whereby, for a small annual fee, your documents are stored securely and locally, allowing your executors to access quickly and easily when the time comes. This service includes a letter to your executors telling them where your will is being stored and how to retrieve it as well as providing free advice on probate issues to your executors to help them carry out your wishes.