If you don't make a fully legal and valid Will your loved ones may not necessarily inherit what you wanted them to have (or they may grab what you didn't want them to have!).
You should also be aware that if you are "not married", but you have a "common-law spouse" or you are "living with your partner", that (s)he WILL NOT INHERT ANYTHING AT ALL FROM YOU, unless you leave a Valid Will.
We believe that our online Will Writing system is easy and logical enough for everybody to easily go through the step-by-step wizard and for them to make a Fully Legal Will Today.
Hopefully, this will encourage people to take a little bit of time at home to make their Will online today, rather than putting it off for 50 years before talking to somebody about their wishes or dying intestate.
We realise that some people will prefer to talk through all the options with a Will writer, so you can contact our Support Team for further information.
These are probably the main reasons why you need to Make Your Will Today.
Certainty
There are many statistics quoted which illustrate how few of us actually get around to making a Will. It is argued that only a small proportion of the population need to make a Will for tax planning purposes but this argument misses the point!
We all need to make a Will to be certain, for example, that the people we want to benefit actually do so.
The law does not always keep pace with changing social attitudes so that, for instance, partners who are not married do not have the rights they may think they have. You can avoid any uncertainty by leaving a clear Valid Will.
A Will drawn with precision and clarity will ensure that your wishes are carried out exactly as you would wish them to be.
Intestacy
If you die without leaving a valid Will you are said to have died Intestate. Even if you have made a Will and this has not been completed correctly it will not be effective on your death and instead the Intestacy Rules will apply and, in effect, the State determines who will inherit your estate. Depending on the circumstances, this could lead to some very unexpected and unwelcome surprises.
Separation, Divorce and Remarriage
There are special rules that apply when you divorce which usually means that a former spouse will not share in the distribution of your estate (except where your Will shows a contrary intention).
The rule does not apply when you are separated and in this circumstance there may be a greater need to consider remaking your Will. Also remember that when you marry or remarry your existing Will is revoked unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage.
Partners
Partners (i.e. persons living together who are not married or not in a Civil Partnership and including those known colloquially as common law husband or wife) are not recognised in English Law for these purposes. There may be some protection in certain circumstances for a partner who is able to make a claim for financial provision under the Inheritance Acts but this is a highly technical area of law and can be a long and potentially expensive process.
It is advisable that both partners make Wills to remove uncertainty and doubt.
