Who do you want to inherit your estate on your death? You may want to consider making a will as a provision for your spouse or partner, or if you have children, you may wish to make a well as a provision for your children to inherit from your estate. You may also have grandchildren whom you want to make provision for and leave gifts to in your Will or you may want to include legacies for other family members or charities. Our lawyers can advise how this can be done. Our step-by-step guide below details the points you need to think about and consider when making a Will to allow our lawyers can advise you accordingly. Our experienced lawyers will discuss your assets and draft a Will that reflects your wishes accurately.
If you have children under the age of 18 you can also appoint guardians for them in your Will.
Getting an idea of the value of your estate is important to assess what assets and debts you have – which will form your estate.
Your estate is typically made up of the following assets:
Debts may include:
It is important that your assets are valued at regular intervals, particularly when you have a significant change of circumstance as the value of your estate can change over time.
You will need to think about the following points to consider what you want to happen to your whole Estate:
Our Norwich lawyers can advise you on how best to word your Will to ensure your wishes are met, as well as providing provisions in your Will to ensure specific and relevant circumstances may be covered and accounted for.
Your Executors are the people who you wish to appoint in your Will to administer your estate. Typically, these can include family members. Our lawyers at Hatch Brenner can also act as an independent professional Executor to your Will to assist with administering your estate if you wish.
At your first appointment, you will discuss what you want to include in your Will. You will then receive a draft Will which will be sent to you for your approval, before making a second appointment to sign the Will.
You can book a second appointment at our offices to sign your Will in the presence of two independent witnesses (that we will provide) so that your Will is valid.
At Hatch Brenner LLP, we can store your Will once it is signed in our strongroom – indefinitely and free of charge. You will receive a copy of your Will once it is signed for your own safekeeping and we can provide peace of mind to our clients that their Wills are also stored safely with us.
If you would like to make a Will, contact our Private Client Team at Hatch Brenner Solicitors who would be happy to help, email [email protected] or call 01603 214 220.