Anyone who has a family, or owns assets and savings, should make a Will.
But what sort of Will should you make and why?
For a single person the Basic Single Will sets out what should happen their estate when they die. It guarantees nothing but sets out how the assets that are remaining at death are to be distributed. Executors, to administer the Will and Beneficiaries who are to inherit are named in the Will.
For married couples a Mirror Will is often the answer. This is where the couple like to mirror their wishes on death. On the first death everything is bequeathed to the partner and thereafter to the chosen beneficiaries. Again this guarantees nothing and only distributes what is left. It has further disadvantages in that the surviving partner may decide to alter their Will and introduce alternative or additional beneficiaries. It also transfers all assets to the survivor which may mean that upon their death an Inheritance Tax position arises. It could also mean that the survivor has sufficient assets to cause maximum contribution to residential care costs if they have to move into a care home.
For divorced couples new Wills should be made immediately if Mirror wills were in place during the marriage. This is in order to protect your assets from reverting back to the divorced partner.
For unmarried couples who live together both should make Wills to contain provisions for bequests to each other after death. Without such Wills the assets may find their way back , under intestacy rules, to family members leaving the unmarried partner with nothing and nowhere to live.
In any Will assets can be protected through the introduction of some form of Trust. This ring-fences those assets which ensures they reach the specifically named beneficiaries.
So you see it is not just a Will you require but one that suits your individual circumstances.
Consider it with care!