Once you have finished writing your will, and it has been signed and witnessed by two people, it’s important that you store your will in a safe and secure location. This will help to ensure that it isn’t lost or damaged and can be located by your executor when you pass away. We usually recommend keeping two signed and witnessed copies of your will, one in a secure location at home and one away from home.

Wills are generally simple to write in England and Wales due to our common law system. There are no strict rules about how a will must be written, as long as it is clear and unambiguous, and signed and witnessed correctly. In common law systems, testamentary freedom is the right of a person to dispose of their property by will, as they see fit, subject to a few limitations. This means that a person can choose to leave their property to anyone they want, regardless of their relationship to them.

It is important to make sure that you have fully read and understood your will in England and Wales because it is a legal document that sets out your wishes for the distribution of your property after you pass away. If you do not understand your will, there is a risk that your estate may not be distributed in the way that you intended.

A codicil is a legal document that amends or adds to a will. It is a separate document from the will, but it must be signed and witnessed in the same way as the will. The most common reasons for using a codicil include changing the name of a beneficiary, revoking a gift that you have made in your will, adding a new gift to your will, and changing the executor of your will.

As part of the probate process, the executor(s) must provide the court with a copy of the will and evidence that it is valid. The court will then review the will to make sure that it meets the requirements of the Wills Act 1837 and that it has not been challenged by any of the deceased's relatives.

Pets are important members of the family, so many people choose to consider them in your will. Pets can provide companionship and love to their owners, especially if they are elderly or single. However they can also be expensive, and could be inherited by someone who is not willing or able to care for them. This could lead to the pets being abandoned or neglected.

Your residuary estate is the part of your estate that remains after all of your debts, expenses, and specific gifts have been paid. It is the part of your estate that is not specifically left to anyone in your will. Partial intestacy is a situation that occurs when someone dies with a will that does not dispose of all of their assets.

Remembering a charity when you pass away is becoming increasingly popular, with 1 in 5 UK adults now including a charitable gift in their will, up more than 40% in the past decade. By donating to charity, you can make a difference in the lives of others. You can also help to support causes that you care about, such as education, healthcare, or environmental protection.

Chattels are movable personal property, such as furniture, jewellery, and vehicles. In England and Wales, chattels are considered part of your estate and are distributed according to the terms of your will. When considering chattels in your will, you should be as specific as possible about what you want to happen to them.

Appointing guardians for your children is important because it ensures that your children will be cared for by people you trust if you pass away before your children reach adulthood. The guardians you appoint will be responsible for making decisions about your children's upbringing, education, and welfare.

A witness to a will is a person who is present when the will is signed and who signs the will to attest to the fact that they saw the testator (the person making the will) sign it. In England and Wales, a will must be witnessed by two people who are not beneficiaries under the will nor are closely related to a beneficiary.

An executor is a person named in a will to carry out the instructions of the testator (the person who made the will). The executor's duties include gathering the testator's assets, paying the testator's debts, distributing the testator's assets to the beneficiaries named in the will, and filing the necessary paperwork with the probate court.

Writing a will can be a relatively simple task if you have very straightforward affairs. You could write it out yourself by copying boilerplate legal text into a Word document, and making sure to update the key parts. Of course, we don’t recommend writing a will yourself, especially if you’ve not thoroughly researched the topic.

A will is a legal document that tells people what you want to happen to your money, property, and possessions after you pass away. It is important to have a will in place, as it can help to avoid disputes and ensure that your wishes are carried out correctly. We recommend following a three-step approach to creating your will.

Intestacy is the legal term for when someone dies without leaving a valid will. When a person dies without leaving a valid will, their property (the estate) must be shared out according to certain rules. These are called the rules of intestacy, which are set out in the The Family Provision (Intestate Succession) Order 1981.

Writing a will, or even researching how to write a will, can unearth a minefield of confusing legal terminology. However, it is necessary that your will is written in the correct terminology to ensure that it is legally binding and can stand-up to scrutiny in the event that your will is challenged.

A will is a legal document that tells people what you want to happen to your money, property, and possessions after you pass away. There are several different types of wills to choose from in England and Wales, depending on your individual circumstances.