What is a Will and why is having one in place important?

A Will is a legal document which specifies in writing who would have the legal right to look after your children under the age of 18 yrs, as well as, who will inherit any assets you have at the time of your death. If you do not have a Will then your estate falls under the Intestacy rules which means that those rules decide who inherits your assets. Also, in the absence of a Will if you have children under 18yrs, your children become ‘Wards of Court’ which means they are the responsibility of the local authorities in the first instance until a family member or friend steps forward to apply for permanent guardianship.

Making a Will enables you to plan exactly what will happen to your property (Estate) following your demise. This ensures that those you would like to benefit actually do so, in accordance with your wishes, and at the same time avoiding any possible disputes between relatives. Most importantly is the peace of mind making a Will provides.

Without a Will

• You cannot be sure those you would wish to benefit will actually do so
• Your spouse/civil partner will not automatically inherit ALL of your Estate
• ‘Common Law’ partners may not receive anything
• Minor children could be taken into Care whilst Guardians are appointed
• There could be lengthy delays for your Beneficiaries and disputes
• You cannot prevent certain family members from benefiting
• You will not be able to leave something to friends, colleagues or charities, which fall outside of the Rules of Intestacy.

Ready to create your Will?

Here at Cedar Wills & Trusts we offer both an online Will service that can take as little as 15 minutes, along with our face-to-face service for people who require more in-depth planning.