Wills represent family life as they have the tendency to start off small and simple and then expand over the years with marriage and children, growing more complex with accumulated wealth and divided loyalties. Here are a few reasons to think about why you should make/review your Will:
- To provide financial security if you have children, family dependants. Or you may even want to leave something to loved ones/causes close to your heart that are outside your immediate family e.g. Charities or friends
- Making a Will allows you to appoint guardians for your children and choose executors, the people you know and trust to carry out your intentions, as you wished. Everything you own in the absence of a Will, as defined by law, will be shared out in a standard way – not necessarily the way you would have wanted.
- With a Will it makes it much easier for your family or friends to sort everything out when you die, knowing they are carrying out your intentions as you wished – without a Will the process can be time consuming and stressful.
- A Will can help reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax that might be payable on the value of the property and money you leave behind. (This can be particularly important if you are married and you have a large estate).
- Even if you already have a Will, family situations can evolve through divorce, marriage, extended (step) families, or a birth of a child. It is important Wills are updated to keep pace with these changes in family life, which may affect how your current Will deals with your legacy.