Having an up to date Will is incredibly important and something that is often overlooked. Not only does having a Will give you peace of mind it can also be helpful for others during what is a sensitive time. You may think writing a will is difficult and a bit overwhelming but using a professional service can take that stress away. We’ve teamed up with the experts at Heritage Will Writers to give you the information you need before writing your Will.
Established in 2002, Heritage Will Writers are East Anglia and the South East’s leading dedicated Will writing service, serving tens of thousands of clients. In addition to writing Wills, the team offer a full probate service, a Client Care Package which includes secure document storage and can help with trust enquiries, Lasting Powers of Attorney and property ownership changes.
In 2019, they were awarded Will Writer of the year at the National Paralegal Awards and were highly commended for the Community Involvement in the 2019 British Wills and Probate Awards. They were also finalists in the Hunts Post 2019 Business Awards.
How do I go about writing a Will, where do I start?
First off, it’s not as daunting as you might think. There are a few things that might you want to consider before you start putting your Will together. These include:
– Who do you want to appoint as the people to make sure the instructions in your Will are carried out (Executors)
– What assets do you have – money, property, possessions etc and who would you want to pass them to when you die? (your beneficiaries)
– If you have children under 18 years old, have you thought about suitable guardians to care for them if anything happens to you?
– Do you have any specific requests concerning your funeral arrangements?
– Do you have somewhere safe to store your Will?
– Are there any charities that you support that you would like to leave a legacy to?
What is the importance of writing a Will?
Your Will states what you want to happen to your possessions (your estate) when you die. Just as important, having a Will takes stress and worries away from your loved ones at a difficult time. Having a Will makes it much easier for your family or friends to distribute your possessions as you requested when you die. Without a Will the process can be expensive, time consuming and emotionally distressing. Without a Will, the Laws on Intestacy decide what happens to your estate and this may not be what you intend. Creating a Will ensures that your wishes are met and your assets are left for the people you care about. A Will can also help reduce the amount of inheritance Tax 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.
Why should I use a professional Will writing service?
In England and Wales, you can write your own Will, but there are many traps for the unsuspecting person. This could result in assets not passing to your chosen beneficiaries – either because key Will provisions are invalid or the wording isn’t legally compliant. To translate your wishes into a legally effective Will, we recommend you speak to a professional Will Writing company.
And once I’ve written it, who do I need to tell?
It is important that you have a conversation with your Executors and guardians before you name them in your will, to ensure that they are happy to take on the role. Heritage write to all the Executors named in our clients’ Wills so they are aware of the duties they will be taking on. We also register all of our Wills on Certainty – the national Will register (The Law Society’s endorsed provider and Will Search service containing over 7 million Wills). Registration records the existence and tags the location of your Will on Certainty the National Will Register, so that the people you have left your estate to, or those you have chosen to be your executors, can find it when you have passed away. Registration ensures that if beneficiaries and executors are unaware that you have written a Will or forget where it’s located, it can be easily found by conducting a Register Will Search.
Where should I store it?
Once you have completed your Will, you need to think about where to store it so it is safe and secure yet easily accessible when the time comes. Not only that, but as life changes it is vital that your Will can be updated and amended easily to ensure your current wishes are met. Heritage offer a client care package which includes storage of not just your will but any other important documents you may have; an annual update of the will; a free executor helpline and access when you need it to any of the documents we hold.
If you would like to get in touch with Heritage Will Writers, their Award-winning Consultants are available for office appointments, video calls (e.g Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom etc) or telephone appointments. To arrange yours, call them on 01603 894500 or email hello@heritagewills.co.uk
