It’s that time of the year again – what are your New Year’s resolutions? Whether you are just sticking to one resolution or a few resolutions to try something new each month of 2022, we have a suggestion for you: make making a will your resolution.
Many of us ring in the new year with ambitious intentions that sometimes can be hard to reach. Making a will is a New Year’s resolution you can keep; we offer a contactless legal service for will writing, making the process even easier for you.
A will is one of the most important documents you’ll ever need.
We are not trying reverse psychology here, but we think if we name a few of the things that are not possible to control without a will, it might give people a reason and motivation to create a will.
Firstly, without a will, you have no control over who inherits your estate, and the distribution of your assets will be determined by the law. If someone passes away without a will, the law sets out some rules – the rules of intestacy – that decide who inherits what.
This can be particularly difficult for unmarried couples, those recently married or divorced or even those with children from previous relationships. Only married or civil partners and close relatives can inherit under the rules of intestacy. Married partners or civil partners must be married at the time of death to inherit.
Secondly, if you have young children but don’t have a will, you’ll have no control over who looks after them, which will be decided through the courts.
Children only inherit if there is no surviving married or civil partner. If there is a surviving partner, they will inherit only if the estate is valued at more than £270,000.
Finally, without a will, unmarried partners, carers, close friends, and even relations by marriage have no right to inherit.
Making a will is easy
We like to think of a will as simply a document that can protect our loved ones. Once the decision is made and you have found a solicitor to help you, the process is straightforward.
With the help of an experienced solicitor that will guide you step by step, you can make sure your document includes every little detail and is executed correctly.
From our experience, we generally find that most of our clients have always wanted to make a will, but they would put it off for years thinking it’s too difficult or takes too long. At Scott Rees & Co we have the expertise to answer all your questions and provide you with tailored advice on all aspects of wills.
We can help you keep your New Year’s resolution by giving you a dedicated case handler that will help you and advise you throughout the process. Start your wills or probate enquiry today.