5* Will Writing Service
A Will - it’s probably not something you’d want to think about - but making sure your estate goes to the right people is important for most clients.
Your Will is a legal document that provides instructions when you die, to say where your assets are to go, and also for more practical matters.
You can write as many Wills as you like over your lifetime, it’s only the most recent one you wrote and signed before your death that’s valid.
Getting expert professional advice from an experienced and well-qualified financial adviser will help build your confidence that your Will is up to date and correct, reflecting your wishes.
So Why Do a Will?
The first thing to realise about a Will is that you’re not doing it for yourself, you’re doing it for your family, who have the responsibility of dealing with your estate and implementing decisions when you’re gone.
So a Will helps make it clear who you want to be the executor and administrator of your estate – if you don’t instruct this in your Will, your family must work it out between themselves.
This can lead to arguments, mistrust and fall-outs even in the tightest knit families, especially when people are grieving and may not be thinking clearly.
The reality is that you can put off making a Will until it is too late and this poses all sorts of problems for the people left behind and could mean that some, or all of your inheritance, either goes to the wrong person or to the state.
Our Services
We offer expert advice on Wills, drafting them for clients around their own personal circumstances.
Each Will is drafted to make sure that our clients' estates pass only to their chosen beneficiaries and avoid many common pitfalls or mistakes that could cost money or create further heartache for those left behind.
We believe that good legacy planning is about getting good advice, considering everything that could affect your wishes, and being aware of all your options so that you can make your own informed choices.
If you think you’ll have to pay inheritance tax on your estate, there are legal ways to reduce the amount that may be due, but it’s a good idea to get advice on this.
An executor makes sure the terms of your Will are carried out, but you could invalidate your Will if you don’t use the correct wording.
We use our expertise and experience to write Wills that comply with the legalities required.
We are also able to help our clients with other legal matters such as Lasting Power of Attorney.
8 Advantages for Having Wills
Ultimately, doing a Will and making sure you don’t die intestate is a good idea for the family you leave behind.
It not only makes sure your assets are given to the right people but that whatever arrangements you’d like are taken care of, alongside preventing any situations that might disinherit your children or other loved ones.
It Makes Probate Easier
If you have a Will the process of probate is much simpler and easier.
Probate is the legal process of dealing with the estate of someone who has died.
Without a Will, it takes time and hassle.
Why would you want to make it harder for the people you love?
You Can Allow Your Partner To Stay Living At Home
Depending on how your home is owned between you and your partner, it allows your partner to keep living there.
Unless you own a property jointly with another person, making a Will ensures that your property, along with any other assets in your sole name, will pass onto your chosen recipients such as family, friends, or organisations such as charities, when you want.
It Prevents An Estranged Spouse Inheriting
If you have an estranged spouse they come top of the list of beneficiaries if you don’t leave a Will.
So, if your marriage has broken down but no divorce has been finalised, your surviving spouse, now your ex, might inherit your estate.
To Appoint Guardians For Your Children
If your children are under 18 you need to decide who’ll care for them if you die and make that nomination in your Will.
Without it, social services may invite applications from your wider friends and family, which may bring someone forward you wouldn’t have chosen.
To Prevent Your Spouse's Future Partner From Inheriting Your Money
It can be easy to disinherit the people you care for the most, or who need your estate the most.
If you die intestate while married, your estate passes to your spouse.
If they remarry and subsequently die intestate, the estate, which would include yours, will pass to their new spouse, who may pass it on to their own children rather than yours.
You Can Do Some Sensible Care Fees Planning
It makes sure you don’t disinherit your children accidentally by allowing your money to be used to fund your surviving partner’s care fees unnecessarily.
Replace Your Will When Getting Married or Divorced
Given that more people are marrying in their late 30s, they may well have already written a Will before they tied the knot.
Marriage automatically invalidates an existing Will unless it was prepared in anticipation of that marriage - so a new Will will be needed after getting married.
While a Will remains valid if you get divorced after it was made, your ex-spouse will be treated as if they had died before you and will no longer act or benefit under your will.
It’s therefore advisable to review your Will and write a new one.
Things get a little more complicated if you separate but remain married, and it is important to discuss any existing Will or making a new Will in this situation.
It's The Easiest Place To Leave Funeral Instructions
It’s helpful to tell your family how you want to be laid to rest.
If you don’t they have to argue between themselves.
- Aunty Irene thinks you should be buried in a certain ceremony...
- Granny is pretty sure you want to be cremated...
- Uncle Bob thinks it should be a religious service...
- Your kids think otherwise.
It all gets very messy very quickly, again, at a time when people are least able to cope.
What Our Clients Have Said
Ian was lovely.
He came and talked us through our ideas about who would be executors, how to describe the beneficiaries, the trustees, the terms, and the conditions.
When he left we felt as if he really understood what we wanted for our family.
Just as importantly he proved his value by showing us where some of our ideas wouldn't be legally allowed and had given us ideas about what to do instead.
We just thought he was lovely and generous.
Wendy and David - Waddington
Regular Reviews
In any event, Wills should be reviewed at least every five years to ensure they remain aligned with your wishes and continue to be valid.
How Much Do We Charge?
We hope you respect the fact that we provide professional services, much of our work is within a highly regulated field, which is expensive to keep up with regulatory and professional fees, but we keep our costs as low as possible.
We offer a free, no-obligation initial telephone consultation for new clients to answer some initial questions and help you with some first steps.
If you would like to use our services after our initial telephone call then we charge a fee of £150 per hour, including travel time.
We do not charge per Will, just for our time, which is a great value.
We would expect a new Will to take about an hour to write, but a "mirror" set of Wills, probably only 90 minutes.
In our view our rate is great value for money - you get the answers to your questions from a specialist professional, quickly and reliably.
Our Resources Hub
For any clients interested in our Will writing service, we give broad advice to make sure our clients feel in complete control and have planned their finances with absolute confidence.
No matter how seemingly silly or difficult, our aim is to answer your questions and give you confidence about our professional work.
Read about our Lasting Power of Attorney drafting and advice service.
As always, if I can be of assistance, please do get in touch by phone or email.
Please note: Estate planning services are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Please Get In Touch
Office Address:
2a Sadler Court, Lincoln, LN6 3RG
The guidance and/or advice contained within this website is subject to the UK regulatory regime. It is therefore targeted at consumers based in the UK. Chestnut Financial Services Limited. Registered in England no 9918363, 2a Sadler Court, Lincoln, LN6 3RG. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.