Will Writing

WITH A WILL YOU CAN…

 

  • Ensure the right people get the right things
  • Appoint people you trust to manage your affairs after death
  • Document your funeral wishes
  • Appoint guardians for your children
  • Help reduce, or even avoid, taxes
  • Avoid the intestacy rules, which, unless you are in a marriage or civil partnership, would leave nothing for your life partner

WHY MAKE A WILL?

Having a Will is your opportunity to have a full say in how your money, property and personal belongings are shared out; and to appoint someone you trust to handle your affairs after you die.

Not having a Will means your loved ones may not be provided for as you wish them to be. It also risks leaving your loved-ones with the stress of sorting out family disputes and financial/legal issues that might otherwise have been avoided.

A Will is a legal document whose purpose is to set out your last wishes in crystal clear and legally water-tight terms; getting it right is important since mistakes can turn out worse than having no Will at all…

This is why using a qualified Will Writer, backed up by a professional body such as the Society of Will Writers, makes sense.

HOW WE WORK / WHAT TO EXPECT

Initial Contact
During our brief introductory phone call we will book an appointment for taking detailed instructions, at a later date, either at your home or by telephone or video call. This instruction-taking meeting must be thorough and cover all relevant matters relating to your estate and family circumstances, and, crucially, what you hope to achieve. It will typically take about one hour.

Preparing for the Instruction-Taking Meeting
After the initial phone call, we will dispatch our Terms of Business, and our Client Confirmation Letter setting out the service(s) you have requested and the agreed price and timescales.

Instruction-Taking Meeting
During this meeting we will seek to explain and clarify any legal terminology and queries you may have, and to gather all the information we will need in order to accurately draft your Will or Lasting Power of Attorney documents.

Drafting & Signing Your Will
After resolving any follow-up queries, we will send you a draft Will to review.  Then, having made all necessary amendments, and only when you are completely satisfied with the final document, will we invoice you and offer a further home visit to supervise the signing and witnessing (attestation) of your Will.

Safe Storage of Your Will
You may wish to securely store you Will at home.  If not, we can, for an additional fee, arrange for  your original document(s) to be stored with the Government’s Probate service, and in due course, forward you their ‘Certificate of Deposit’, together with guidance on how to retrieve your Will.

Regularly Reviewing Your Will
Many of us prepare Wills and then forget about them, but it is important to review and update your Will to take into account changes in your personal and/or financial circumstances; such as having children, separation or divorce, coming into an inheritance, or purchasing property.  An out-of-date Will may cause just as many problems as not having a Will at all. Did you know, for example, that marriage makes your Will null and void (unless it was made in contemplation of a forthcoming marriage or civil partnership) and divorce will render certain provisions ineffective.

A Will as Unique as You Are
All our Wills are bespoke legal documents tailored to meet your individual requirements

Face-to-Face or Online Appointments
Meet us in the comfort of your own home, or online using a smartphone, tablet/IPad, laptop or PC

 

Fixed Cost Service
All our prices are published & publicly available on this website (see the ‘pricing’ page) as we believe in transparent & fair prices. We charge a fixed all inclusive fee, for each product or service, which is discussed and agreed with you upfront at the start, and we don’t ask for a penny until the job is nearing completion and we have agreed a final version of your document(s).

Minor Updates to an Existing Will
In this digital age, we recommend that a brand new Will is drafted for even minor changes, rather than using a codicil (legal document attached to an existing Will) which itself would have to be signed and witnessed in exactly the same way as the Will itself.  If Greendrift Wills drafted your current Will, then we charge a greatly reduced rate for minor revisions or updates to an existing Will.

 

WHAT HAPPENS WITHOUT A VALID WILL…

Without a valid Will your assets will be distributed according to the rules of intestacy, which are laid down in law and take no account of your wishes; and may even end up leaving everything to the State.

Single

Without a Will you miss the opportunity to state your final wishes; perhaps a charitable, political or educational donation? gift to a close friend? bequest to a God child? Or legacy for a favourite niece /nephew?

Married Couples

Without a Will it is not certain that your spouse will inherit ALL your assets

Divorced or Separated

Without a Will you miss the opportunity to make clear whether or not you want your ex-spouse or ex-civil partner to benefit from your estate

Unmarried Couples

Without a Will your partner may not receive anything

Parents of Young Children

Without a Will you miss the opportunity to appoint guardians for your children, or to specify at what age they will receive their inheritance (between 18 and 25)

Standard Wills

In most cases, with relatively straightforward estates and financial affairs, a standard Will, which includes all the essential elements, is probably the right solution for you.

Complex Wills

If your estate contains, for example, foreign assets, business or farming interests, high value and/or complex financial affairs, or numerous named beneficiaries, then a complex Will may be necessary.

Download our leaflets

Why Make a Will

It's Time to Review Your Will

Preparing to Make Your Will

Signing Your Will

Appointing Guardians