"I don't need to make a will yet"

Probably not BUT

every 35 minutes someone dies as a result of an unexpectedaccident. Sadly most of them leave their loved ones a legacy of worry, delay, expense and financial hardship,

and all because they kept putting off making their Will.


A Will is the only way your money passes to the people you want it to go to.

There are many misconceptions surrounding Wills and what happens after death. If one spouse dies the other will receive the estate, but then what? Under English law the estate will then pass to the family (parents, siblings) of the surviving spouse. Ok in practice but what if you do not particularly like your mother-in-law? What if one side of the family has helped out financially?

Who will look after your children if you die before they reach 18? Under English law the surviving spouse takes responsibility but what if you die together. It is even more complicated if you are not married. A Will is the only place you can appoint a guardian.

If you live with your partner and are not married and your partner dies you are entitled to nothing.

If you have children from a previous marriage, adult or otherwise they will not automatically benefit. For example Mary and Joe are married. Mary has adult children from a previous relationship. Joe has always treated the children as his own. Mary dies without a will so all of her estate passes to Joe. Joe subsequently dies without making a Will. His estate passes to his own family i.e. his brothers and sisters. Mary's children get nothing.

In short if you want to control exactly what happens after your death you need to make a Will.