MAKING A WILL - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW |
Posted: July 26, 2017 |
At some point in their lives, at different times and under different circumstances, almost everyone will make a will. People talk about it, and it seems to be something which isn’t done publicly. So this will leave some people wondering how precisely they make a will, what they need to put in it and how they even do it. So, what do you need to know to make a will? So, what is a will? To begin with, it is very important to understand precisely what a will is, to appreciate the importance of one. A will is a legal document which primarily provides the last requests and wishes of a person who has died. The last will of a person will usually contain requests to give certain things to certain people, for example giving the family home to the next of kin like your child or giving money to grandchildren to help pay for them to go university. It needs to be recognised and granted a probate to be confirmed as the last real wishes of the deceased. What should I include in my will? Your will is going to contain the last set of instructions and requests that you’ll ever make, and there are certain things that need to be in there. You need to specify what you are leaving to people, by mentioning them by name and detailing what you want them to have. If you have small children who are under the age of 18, then you need to make provision for them to be looked after and kept safe, usually by entrusting their well-being with a relative or very close friend. You will also need to appoint an executor, who is the person that will oversee the acquisition of the probate to validate your will and distribute your possessions and assets once you’re gone. As well as this, you need to make provision for the event of someone dying before you do, and what will happen to the assets you’ve left to them, whether they go to their next of kin or given to someone else altogether. How do I make my will? To make a will, you’ll need to contact a legal professional and request a consultation to discuss your needs. From there, the task will be writing your will. You must be over 18 years of age to write a will, and you must also be of sound mind and not have a diminished mental capacity. Your will is not going to be legally valid unless you have written it in the presence of two independent witnesses, both of whom are also over 18 years of age. It’s worth noting that they are unable to be left anything in your will, so it might be worth choosing your solicitor and a friend who isn’t especially bothered if they don’t get anything once you’ve passed. A will must also be handwritten, and will not be accepted as legally valid unless it is. Overall, there are not many steps to make a will, but how to do so and who to contact to create one can be knowledge some people don’t have, which will then dissuade them from making one. The requests and gifts you leave people in the will are going to be good memories, and one last great thing for people to remember you by, so it’s important to make sure it’s done correctly and is going to be legitimate, regardless of how much you have to give, and it’s especially important if you have small children, because you’ll be keen to know they’ll grow up in a safe and secure environment, raised by someone close and trusted.
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