A well drafted Will also enables you to:
- Choose how your property and possessions will be dealt with in the event of death
- Provide for children and appoint guardians
- Give particular gifts or sums of money to named people or organisations, including charities
- Maximise Business and Agricultural Reliefs for Inheritance Tax
To begin the Will making process, arrange an initial appointment with our team of skilled Wills solicitors today by calling your local office in Swansea on 01792 655822.
Alternatively, you can email mail@geplegal.co.uk or fill in the online enquiry form.
Once you’ve made an appointment with one of our Wills lawyers, make a list using the Wills checklist below to begin planning your Will. The more information you can give us from the outset, the smoother your Will making experience will be.
Wills checklist
Proof of identity
Remember to bring proof of identity, such as your passport or driving licence, to your Wills appointment.
Your Beneficiaries
Your Beneficiaries are the people to whom you leave your property and money after you die. We will need the following information about your Beneficiaries:
- Their full names
- Their addresses
- Their dates of birth
Your Executors
You need to appoint an Executor or multiple Executors to administer your Will after you die. Many people choose two Executors, often family or close friends, who are likely to work together well.
You can also appoint us as your Executor. Our skilled Wills lawyers have extensive experience administering estates as well as assisting loved ones fulfil their roles as Executors.
Assets
Make a list of the larger, higher-value assets you want to leave to your loved ones and their approximate values, including:
- Houses
- Vehicles
- Businesses
Gifts of money
Decide whether you want to give any gifts of money to loved ones and write down the following details:
- The amounts of money you want to gift
- Details of the Beneficiaries
Other personal belongings
Make a list of other specific items you want to leave to your loved ones and their approximate values, including:
- Jewellery
- Paintings
- Family heirlooms
Charity
If you want to leave a gift to charity, write down:
- Details of the gift
- The registered name of the charity and its address
Everything else
Decide who you would like to receive any remainder of your estate after your debts, taxes, and funeral expenses have been covered. Usually, people choose their partner, children, or a charity.
Alternative wishes
You may want to include contingencies in your Will in case your chosen Beneficiaries die before you. For example, if you leave a gift to your spouse, you can also provide that, if your spouse dies first, it gets divided between your children instead.
Guardians
If you have children, you can state in your Will who should become their legal guardian if you and their other parent both die before they reach 18.
Funeral wishes
You can use your Will to state your funeral wishes. Your Executors won’t be bound to carry out your wishes, but if you appoint people you trust and love, it is highly likely that they will attempt to fulfil your requests.
Funeral wishes could include matters such as whether you would prefer a cremation or a burial and any religious requirements.
Other decisions
As well as your Will, you can also leave other documents to prepare for your future in the unfortunate event that you lose your capacity to make decisions yourself, for example, due to injury or illness. Such documents include:
- Living Will – a document which outlines your wishes to refuse medical treatment in in the event that you cannot communicate your wishes in the future. Living Wills are also referred to as Advance Decisions.
- Lasting Power of Attorney – a document appointing an attorney to make decisions about your finances, welfare, and care in the event that you cannot make those decisions yourself in the future.
To begin the Will making process, arrange an initial appointment with our team of skilled Wills solicitors today by calling your local office in Swansea on 01792 655822.
Alternatively, you can email mail@geplegal.co.uk or fill in the online enquiry form.