New Year – New Will

January 19, 2017

New Year Resolutions can be tough to stick to.  But if your New Year Resolution is to get organised and write a Will, then you can sort this one out very easily!


In broad terms, if you have anyone who depends on you (children are the most obvious) or you have property that you need to ensure would pass to the right person (in particular, unmarried homeowners) then a Will is something you really should have in place.


As little as £120 + VAT could give you peace of mind and ensure that if anything was to happen to you, your family is provided for in accordance with your wishes.


What happens if you do not have a Will?


If you do not have a Will then your Estate would be distributed in accordance with the Intestacy Rules, which do not necessarily pass assets where you might expect.  If you are an unmarried couple, or if you own property jointly with another person, then you really need to have Wills in place


Why don’t people write Wills?


There really is no good reason to put off writing a Will.  The most typical reasons given are:


I haven’t had the time to do it
I think that it will tempt fate
I don’t have anything to leave to anyone


Wills become invaluable at times of loss, and even if there is very little wealth being left can make a huge difference to the family dealing with bereavement.  You can express funeral wishes, you can name who would take care of your children, who would look after your pets, you can even store social media passwords with your Will to enable photographs to be retrieved.


There is nothing to suggest that writing a Will increases any risk at all, this is pure superstition, and the process of writing a Will is one which we guide you through so it needn’t be complicated.

It is never too early to start thinking about the future and putting safeguards in place.  What better time to start dealing with your affairs than the start of a New Year?
If you would like to discuss this further please contact Edward Hands & Lewis Solicitors on 0116 2665394 or find your nearest office on our website.

The information provided in all of our blogs reflects only a narrative of some elements to consider on the topic. The blogs do not contain considered legal advice and should not be relied upon as advice. Please see our website terms and conditions for full details of our disclaimer. If you are interested in obtaining advice, please contact one of our lawyers who will be happy and able to advise you on your own particular circumstances.