Should I Make a Will? Wednesday, Mar 3 2010
Doing Business and Finance Resources and Tips + Tricks 7:39 pm
Don t leave your loved ones with additional costs and hassle.
Individuals who die without a valid will, or intestate, result in complications and costs to their beneficiaries and often gift thousands of £’s to the Government in what may be avoidable Inheritance Tax (IHT).
The Law Society says that anyone with assets and family or friends should make a will, disregarding of their age. It is specially 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 pass automatically to the surviving partner under the rules of survivorship. Under the current intestacy rules, an unmarried partner has no rights to property or assets that were not jointly owned (although the Law Commission has lately proposed to change this).
Doing a will is also essential if you have minors, as you can propose guardians to look after them.
It is vital to make a list of assets and liabilities and their approximate worth. Include your properties, investment, nest egg, insurance policies and pensions.
In addition, consider details of personal bequests. Simply informing a relative that an item will be his or hers one day could cause upset later.
You should get professional advice on inheritance tax planning as part of writing your will. Simple steps could save the beneficiaries of more affluent householders thousands of £’s in tax.
A vital factor of constructing a will is the appointment of executors to make sure that your will instructions are executed.
You should also review your will every five years or so and whenever your circumstances are changed by a significant life event, such as wedding, divorce or a birth or death in the immediate family. Another instance would be after a house buy or move.
Whoever draws up your will, make sure at least 1 copy is kept secure or deposit 1 with a probate registry.
Consilium Asset Management LTD provides will writing services in Bristol
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