Is Your Will up to Date?

Having an up-to-date Will is the best way of ensuring your wishes are followed when you are no longer here, but it also takes a lot of the stress off your loved ones at an already challenging time. In this article, we look at five ways having a Will helps your loved ones after you pass.

1. To make things easier

In simple terms, leaving a Will makes it easier for your loved ones and those who would have to make those important decisions in your absence. It provides direction, guidance, and certainty over what you would have wanted to happen and will give them comfort that your wishes are being followed.

2. Clearly nominates who will manage your estate

When drafting your Will, you will have the opportunity to nominate an ‘executor’. This is an important role, and you should carefully consider who you will choose. You should nominate someone you trust and ensure they are aware of and appreciate the responsibility of the job they will be taking on.

An executor will be responsible for managing and distributing your estate to your chosen beneficiaries. If you do not choose an executor in your Will, the court will select one for you. If this happens, they may not select who you would have wanted, so it is important to have a Will and choose your executor.

3. Provide instructions for your funeral arrangements

Drafting a Will allows you to include instructions for your funeral arrangements. While these are not legally binding, this can take a great deal of stress and decision making off of your loved ones. You might consider suggestions for the service, music, location, and final resting place, whether you’d like to be buried or cremated.

4. Minimise the chances of family disputes

Disputes are common, and you know your family better than anyone and whether there might be conflict between them over your estate when you die, particularly if there is no Will. Making a Will minimises the chances of this happening - choosing exactly how you would like your estate to be distributed.

5. Security for your loved ones

If you die without a Will (intestate), your estate may be distributed in a way you would not have intended. Blended families, like stepchildren and unmarried partners, have no automatic legal right to any portion of your estate. If you are not married or in a Civil Partnership, the only way to leave your property is to make a Will.

Making a Will that provides for those most important to you gives them the security that they will be looked after even after you are gone.