Making a Will
Thursday, March 4th, 2010
Don t leave your wife and kids with additional costs and hassle.
Individuals who die without a valid will, or intestate, leave complications and costs to their beneficiaries and often gift thousands of £’s to the Nation in what may be avoidable Inheritance Tax (IHT).
The Law Society says that anyone with possessions and family or friends should make a will, regardless of their age. It is specially important if you are not married to your partner, because the law does not accord partners the same automatic rights of inheritance as spouses.
Property that is jointly owned by unmarried partners on a joint tenancy basis would still go to automatically to the living spouse under the rules of survivorship. Under the current intestacy rules, an unmarried partner has no rights to property that were not jointly held (although the Law Commission has lately proposed to change this).
Constructing a will is also critical if you have minors, as you can appoint guardians to care for them.
It is critical to create a list of assets and debts and their approximate values. Include your properties, investments, nest egg, insurance policies and pension.
In addition, think about single legacies. Simply telling a beneficiary that an item will be his or hers one day could cause difficulty later.
You should take professional advice on inheritance tax planning as part of writing your will. Easy steps could save the beneficiaries of wealthier homeowners thousands of £’s in tax.
An important component of forming a will is the appointment of executors to make sure that your will wishes are executed.
You should also update your will every 5 years or so and whenever your situation are altered by a profound life event, such as marriage, divorce or a birth or death in the close family. Another instance would be after a house purchase or move.
Whoever constructs up your will, make sure at least one copy is kept secure or deposit 1 with a probate registry.
Consilium provide will writing services in Bristol