With the increase in expensive legal claims on estates and the contesting of Wills after someone passes away it begs the question why ‘Do it yourself Wills’ are still popular.
Whilst on the face of it, writing your own Will may appear to save you money upfront as you avoid having to incur the cost of a law firm in the preparation of your Will.
Your Will is the most important document you will ever create and the cost to your family and friends because of an incorrect Will is expensive and difficult to resolve when it comes to putting your wishes into effect.
Ensuring your Will is correctly drafted is vital, the risk with not using a professional service is that you are missing out on the advice and peace of mind of how things will be left after your passing.
Professionals can provide you with the correct advice to ensure you understand what decisions you are making, as well as providing you with information as to how to best effect your wishes.
Drafting your own Will is risky, if it is declared invalid your estate will be distributed according to the law of intestacy which is unlikely to reflect the terms of your Will.
Things you may miss without the help of a Will professional:
- The effect on your children’s inheritance should your partner remarry or enter into
- a new relationship after your death.
- Your house being sold to fund your long term care costs and the local authority becoming a major beneficiary of your estate.
- If your will is not signed correctly it is not likely to be a valid Will.
- Are beneficiaries are correctly defined, does ‘children’ include step children or step grandchildren.
- You would not have considered what legal claims there could be on your estate and how you could mitigate them.
Your wishes are important and your Will should be drafted to ensure they can be accurately carried out by your loved ones once you are gone.
Here at Newnham & Jordan, we can offer a confidential initial appointment to discuss your Will requirements and our Wills are provided on a fixed fee basis with no hidden costs.
For more information contact Newnham & Jordan Solicitors today on 01202 877 400 to enquire about our Probate services.
- We offer confidential appointments in person or by Zoom.
- You are also welcome to email us at: privateclient@Newnham-Jordan.co.uk.
This article is intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be or constitute legal advice. Newnham & Jordan Solicitors, cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article.
