February 21, 2010
Benefits of Making a Will
Don t leave your loved ones with extra worry and hassle.
People who die without an up to date will, or intestate, result in complications and costs to their beneficiaries and often gift thousands of £’s to the Nation in what may be avoidable Inheritance Tax (IHT).
The Law Society says that anyone with assets and family or friends should make a will, irrespective of their years. It is particularly important if you are not married to your partner, because the law does not give partners the same automatic rights of inheritance as spouses.
Assets which are owned jointly by unmarried partners on a joint tenancy basis would still go to automatically to the surviving spouse under the rules of survivorship. Under the current intestacy rules, an unmarried partner has no rights to assets and property that were not jointly held (although the Law Commission has recently proposed to change this).
Affecting a will is also essential if you have children, as you can appoint guardians to care for them.
It is important to create a list of investments, property and debts and their approximate values. Include your house, investments, savings, insurance policies and pensions.
In addition, consider details of individual bequests. Just informing a family member that an item will be his or hers one day could cause problems later.
You should receive professional advice on inheritance tax planning as part of writing your will. Easy measures could save the beneficiaries of more well-to-do homeowners thousands of pounds in taxation.
An essential factor of affecting a will is the appointment of executors to ensure that your will instructions are carried out.
You should also review your will every or so and whenever your circumstances are changed by a significant life event, such as wedding, split up or a birth or death in the immediate family. Another example would be after a house purchase or move.
Whoever draws up your will, make sure one copy is kept safe or deposit 1 with a probate registry.
Consilium offer inheritance tax planning advice in Gloucestershire