Many clients come in to see us to make a Will, some anxious and tense, and the best thing about our day is when they leave looking happy, telling us that the process was much easier and less scary than they thought.

When you come to see us to make a Will, or we visit you at home, we will have a discussion with you to find out how best we can help. During our discussion we will ask you a series of questions to establish what is important to you, how and to who you would like to leave your estate.

In preparation for the initial meeting you may find it useful to consider:

• Who you would like to appoint as your executors?  These are the people who ensure your estate is distributed as specified in your Will.
• If you have children under 18, who would you like to appoint as their guardian or guardians?
• Do you have a specific item you would like to leave to a specific person?  This can be something of sentimental value, or a family heirloom.
• Whether you want to discuss any concerns you may have about inheritance tax; payment of future care fees; or safeguarding the succession of your estate to your children?
• Do you want to consider severing the joint tenancy of a home you own with another person? We can discuss the pros and cons of this when we see you as they can be different depending upon your current circumstances.
• Who would you want to inherit the rest of your estate?  This can be family, friends, charities or a mixture of all. 

Whilst the law in England and Wales provides that when making a Will you have complete discretion in relation to who to include as beneficiaries. It is important to remember that a disappointed beneficiary may be able to challenge the terms of your Will on a number of grounds including, for example: lack of capacity, undue influence and/or lack of knowledge and approval of the Will. 

In situations where there is a risk of someone challenging your Will or bringing a claim against your estate, we will discuss steps you can take to try and mitigate these risks.

By making a Will you are making things easier for your family and friends who are left behind.  It will also give you peace of mind as it will ensure that your wishes are carried out after you have died.

Lastly, making a Will really is not scary, come and meet us to find out!

If you would like to talk to one of our specialist advisers, please call us on 0151 647 9381, request a callback at your convenience, message us your enquiry or email enquiry@jacksonlees.co.uk.