Making a Will

There are many reasons to make a will, for example:

• you can be sure your savings and possessions (your estate) will go to the people and causes you care about,
• it removes any doubt about who you want your estate to go to, avoiding any disputes between relatives,
• you may be able to reduce the amount of tax you have to pay on your estate.

You can make your own will, or you can instruct a solicitor to make one for you. It's usually best to get advice from a solicitor except in very simple cases.

Make sure it’s absolutely clear what you want to happen to your whole estate. You can make specific gifts to people and then state where the residue of the estate (any property or money left over) is to go. Or you could divide your estate in certain proportions, for example, half to your spouse and a quarter each to your two children. You can leave money to charities in your will, too.

Review your will at least every five years and after any major change in your life, such as moving house or the arrival of grandchildren. If you don’t, it can lead to complications and upset for your family. For example, your will may mention a house you no longer own, or refer to older grandchildren but not younger ones.

Download the following guides:

 Wills and estate planning (PDF 907 KB)

 How to be an executor (PDF 608 KB)

 Help with legal advice (PDF 788 KB)

And the factsheet:

 Making a will (PDF 185 KB)