Writing your Last Will and Testament

Making a Will is an important part of adult life, it assists with financial planning and the future of any dependents, family and friends once you are gone.

Making a Will

Making a Will is arguably one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your family and the importance of having a valid Will cannot be overstated. We will create a tailor-made Will for you by considering all your financial circumstances, family, and commitments, plus the need for any tax planning. Our lawyers at JW Hughes & Co. have in-depth knowledge of drafting wills and can help you make one which is right for you and your family.

Do I need a Will?
Without a Will, some rules dictate how your money, possessions, and assets are divided, which can particularly affect unmarried couples or people with children. It is often assumed that money and possessions will automatically pass to your partner or children, but this is not always the case. You need a valid Will. By making a will you can relax safe in the knowledge that your wishes will be carried out should anything happen to you and will avoid legal problems arising for your family in the future.

Single Will
from £250+ VAT

Mirror Wills (Couples)
from £400+ VAT

Complex Will
Start from £300+ VAT

By making a Will:

You decide who will benefit and what they will get. You can also lay out your wishes for your funeral arrangements, such as whether you would like to be buried or cremated. If you die without a Will the intestacy rules are very strict, and the rules determine who inherits what based on family connections. The rules do not take into account the closeness of your relationships, or who is most in need.

If one partner were to die without a Will, the surviving partner could be left with no decision-making power or ownership of any assets of the deceased. This can be particularly cumbersome if you own a property together as the interest may not necessarily automatically pass to the surviving partner. By making a Will you can state what you would like your partner to receive.

If you have property in your name, you can give survivors the right to reside within the property or leave part of the property to them. This can be an important fact to consider if you are in an unmarried partnership and share a house together, or if you have a family residing with you and do not want the house to be sold upon your departure and for them to continue living in the property.

You can make plans to provide for your children’s future financially. You may wish to set up a trust for your children so you can control when your children receive the money and what it gets used for. Please see Setting Up a Trust.

You could also include a name of who you should wish to be a guardian for any children should you die before they reach the age of 18.

A Will can help reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax that might be payable on the value of the property and money you leave behind.

Pets are part of the family and cannot be forgotten. In your Will you can make provisions for your pet(s).

If you want to make gifts and donations to charity these can be written in your Will.

By having a professionally drafted Will in place it can avoid any family disputes. You have the option to add a ‘letter of wishes’ to accompany your Will. This has no legal standing but can be used to provide any guidance to your executors on your instructions or explain the reasoning for your decisions should you feel the need to.

You can set out your wishes for your funeral, note any prepaid funeral plans, decide whether you wish to be buried or cremated and the location.

Wills & Probate Services

Reasons to Make a Will

Control who will benefit from your Will.
Protect your partner if you are unmarried.
Safeguard any property in your name
Make arrangements for children
Tax Planning
Make arrangements for pets
Set out your wishes for your funeral
Charitable Donations
Avoid Will Disputes

Home Visits

If you are physically unable to come to one of our offices, often one of our solicitors will come and visit you at home or in hospital so please contact us today if you need this.

Will Amendments

There are certain lifetime events that may prompt you to amend or create a new Will. These are the most common:

Buying your first home
Moving home/change of address
A death of a beneficiary
Marriage
Divorce
Re-marriage
Having children
A significant financial change, e.g., inheriting money, winning the lottery
Business Ownership

Contact Us

Please contact our Solicitors for advice on making a Will. Do not worry if you have never discussed making a Will before – our friendly solicitors will put you at ease, explaining everything clearly with no legal jargon.

Our people

Our experienced team of Solicitors can help you.

Rhys Lewis

Partner/Solicitor - Conveyancing, Wills, Probate and LPA

Alaw Pari

Partner/Solicitor - Conveyancing, Wills, Probate & LPA's (On maternity Leave)

Joshua Lloyd

Solicitor - Personal Injury, Criminal Defence and Probate.

Anna Wilkes

Solicitor - Family Law

FAQ's

What is the difference between a 'Single' Will and a 'Couple'or 'Mirror' Will?

A Single Will lays out your own individual wishes.

If you are in a couple and have similar wishes to your partner, e.g. leaving everything to the other, this can be described as making ‘Couple or Mirror Wills’. Effectively two wills that mirror each other's wishes.

What is classed as a complex Will?

We describe a complex Will as being drawn for someone who has a large amount of assets, crypto assets or shares and who would exceed the Inheritance Tax threshold. It may be someone who has a business(es). It may also be someone who requires a trust to be drawn up for a beneficiary of the Will.

Please see Setting Up a Trust

I am getting married should I change my Will?

Yes, it is generally recommended to amend your Will if you are getting married. Marriage is a significant life event that can affect the distribution of your estate.