Compelling reasons to make a Will Posted by David West , 19/05/2015

Compelling reasons to make a Will

Writing a Will is one of those things that many of us put off. However, in some instances the consequences for your family if you have not made a Will can be devastating.

If you are a parent who intends to re-marry or enter into a civil partnership, (other than to your children’s other parent or legal guardian) you should always write a Will, otherwise your children are likely to be disinherited if you should die before your new spouse.

Only if your estate is worth in excess of £250,000 will your children inherit directly and then only a proportion of the sum in excess of the £250,000. If your spouse then dies without having made a Will, the inheritance they would have received from you will pass to their own relatives under the rules of intestacy. Similarly, if you and your spouse are childless and have not written Wills, on the first death joint assets in the estate pass to the survivor and when the surviving spouse dies their estate will pass to their relatives, leaving the relations of the first deceased disinherited.