Why should I instruct a Solicitor to draft my Will?
There are many reasons for making a Will and it can sometimes be difficult to decide who to turn to in the market place. What however, is clear to us as legal specialists is that a professionally drafted Will by a legal expert is usually money well spent as opposed to a home-made Will due to the differences in the preparation of each.
In our vast experience what should be avoided at all costs is a home-made Will.
Why should you NOT make a home-made Will?
We are very often instructed to deal with estates after a testator’s death relating to a home-made Will.
As there are so many pitfalls in attempting to draft your own Will there is often various problems that need to be overcome when we try to administer the estate. An example of the problems that we have encountered over the years are;
- Bank accounts are gifted but these have changed and indeed often no longer exist
- Changes are made to the original document years later which are not duly initialled and the Will is not re-signed
- Spouses of beneficiaries acting as witnesses to the testator’s signature which makes the gift to the beneficiary invalid
- Insufficient provision made for dependents leading to hardship or a challenge to the Will and estate
The above are just a few of the examples of what can go wrong when you are trying to deal with an estate when the Will has been prepared without expert legal advice.
Such situations lead to:
- delay and extra costs in the administration of the estate
- emotional stress and upheaval at an already upsetting time
- possible financial hardship
- your estate not being administered as you had wanted
- your wishes are not met
Why should you instruct F Barnes to prepare your Will
When you visit us to prepare your Will, we do not simply take instructions from you but spend the time with you to ensure that you receive the correct advice before you decide what should be included in your Will.
For example, F Barnes will look at:
- Your affairs in general
- Your family circumstances
- Dreaded Inheritance Tax and how this may affect you
- Care Home Fees and planning for this potential cost
- What happens if you or your loved one loses mental capacity and are no longer able to look after your affairs
There are so many things to consider when drafting a Will and planning for the future generally that to spend from as little as £200 plus vat, per single Will or £300 plus vat for mirror Wills (one for each spouse or partner) to ensure your wishes are carried out is money well spent.
Other fixed fee options are available for Lasting Powers of Attorney and Trusts when instructing us to draft your Will.
Don’t have sleepless nights worrying, it is very simple to have ‘peace of mind’
Call us on 01708 745183 and speak to one of our friendly solicitors within this department, Sangeet Tatem at Collier Row, Toni Fredericks at Gidea Park, Paul Olubiyiand Kaylee Justham at Romford.
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