It's never too early to start making you will, but often too late.

If You Have Made A Will...

Well done!

However -	Is it up-to-date and relevant?
	Does it still say what you want it to say?
	Does it protect your home from care costs?
	Does it minimise your liability to Inheritance Tax?

Why Should I Make A Will?

To avoid dying intestate (without a will) and allowing your possesions to be distributed according to the law of intestacy (see below).

In your Will you can appoint a Guardian, a person of YOUR choice to look after YOUR children if you should die before they reach 18.

Administering an estate, with a grant of probate, where there is a Will is far quicker and cheaper than without. Why give banks and solicitors money that may be needed for your loved ones?

It is commonly believed that husbands and wives are automatically entitled to inherit everything from each other. This is NOT the case.

If you are not married, then your partner will NOT inherit your estate.

Increased property values may make your estate liable to Inheritance Tax (Death Duties). These can be minimised or even eliminated by a carefully written Will.

You may want to prevent certain members of your family from benefiting from your estate. This can only be done through a Will.

You may want to leave something to friends, colleagues or charities. This will happen only if you have made a Will.

In the time that it takes to read this page, someone, somewhere will have died intestate - that is without leaving a valid Will. Did you know that for these people, the government has written a standard Will, which will almost certainly contradict what their wishes will have been...

What Happens Without A Will?

To My Family:
I hereby leave you all several months, possibly year, of financial hardship and expense whilst you go to unnecessary efforts to sort out my affairs.

To My Spouse:
I hereby leave you some (but probably not all) of everything I own.

To My Children:
I hereby leave you the remainder of my estate and give you the authority to enforce the sale of any part of it (including the family home) to realise your inheritance.

To Social Services:
If my children are orphaned I give you the authority of guardianship and the power to choose who shall look after them, including allocating them to foster-parents.

To the Tax Man:
I hereby leave you all the tax that I could have avoided and given to my family.

To My Bank And/Or Solicitor:
I hereby authorise you to charge whatever you feel necessary to sort out the mess that I have left you behind. I realise that this could make you one of the major beneficiaries of my estate.

To Everyone Else:
I leave you nothing!

The absense of a will can cause problems, heartbreak, financial hardship and unnecessary expense for your famil at the very worst possible time.

For a small investment of time and money YOU can write what YOU want in YOUR Will, protecting your loved ones whilst enjoying peace of mind.