AKP strongly recommends that everybody has a Will, and in conjunction with professional advisers and the Society of Will Writers AKP will help you construct a Will according to your wishes. Please contact AKP to discuss your requirements. It is worth considering that if you have not made a valid Will, your property will pass according to the Law of Intestacy. This may not be what you would have wished. In any event it is likely to take longer to finalise than if you had made a Will. During this time your beneficiaries may not be able to draw any money from your estate, and it can mean arguments and distress for relatives. Consider the following:

You should consider who would look after your children in the event of your death. This is particularly important in the case of one parent families or unmarried parents living together. A valid Will nominating guardians is invaluable in such cases. If no one knows what you would have wanted, the Court will decide on the future of your children, and it may not be what you or your children would have wished.

Do not assume “my other half will get everything.” Brothers and sisters or parents may have a claim. Often your children have a right to part of your estate. If you are living as a couple but not officially married, you may be treated as a single person and a surviving partner may get nothing at all. One thing you can be certain of is that there will be argument and dispute at a time when the family should be coping with the loss of a loved one.

You will want your estate divided amongst friends, relatives and charities of your choosing, and in the proportions you want.

Maybe you made a Will a long time ago. It probably needs updating to include additional grandchildren or deletion of persons to whom you no longer feel you wish to leave anything.