Will Writing is one of those topics that isn’t always the most engaging. At this time of year, people start thinking about New Years Resolutions and I’d get around to ‘that’ after Christmas. When it comes to Will Writing, there are typically three different types of people:

1. Those who are organised, have done their Wills and get on with life (reviewing every 3-5 years)

2. People who are nervous about the process but still get the ball rolling (normally without a great deal of urgency).

3. Those who flat-out refuse to consider estate planning because “It’ll never happen to me”…

In this short article, we’re going to share a couple of examples of Why writing a Will is so important and why you shouldn’t put it off.

As a kent-based Will writing service we speak to all manner of people and help them to get their affairs in order. Part of this involves understanding what they want to achieve, who they would like to protect and what could stand in the way of that.

Often these common problems come up:

• I’d like to exclude someone from benefiting
• I want to protect my children’s inheritance in case something happens to me and my spouse remarries
• I’m not married but want my partner to benefit
• My estate is relatively simple (and then it turns out not to be)

Using a couple of examples, we’ll share some reasons why you shouldn’t delay in sorting your estate planning.

If you have young children, a Will is an opportunity to appoint guardians in the event that something were to happen to you and your partner. This is one of the most common reasons why people get their Will written and is also one of the most important. If you don’t have a Will in place, the Courts will decide who looks after your children and this could be somebody that you would not have chosen.

Another common reason for writing a Will is to protect assets such as your home. If you are not married and you die without a Will, your partner will not automatically inherit your estate. This could cause all sorts of problems, especially if you have young children.

A Will is also an opportunity to make sure that your assets go to the people that you want them to. You can use a Will to exclude people from your estate, or you can include people who are not normally entitled to inherit (such as unmarried partners, friends or charities).

The term ‘sideways disinheritance’ is often used to describe what can happen when people don’t have a Will in place. This is where assets such as your home are passed on to your spouse, and they perhaps might remarry. In remarrying, all of your assets might be lost to their new partner and your children could be entirely disinherited. This is all too common.

The sheer fact that we cannot predict when it will be our time to go means that we shouldn’t put off writing our Will. For the sake of a couple of hours of your time, a meeting with tea and biscuits (or coffee and cake), we can help you get your affairs in order.

Don’t wait until after Christmas. Book your appointment now.