Wills, Funerals, Estates
It is a good idea to write a Will as this lets everyone know your wishes for after your death. You can write your Will yourself, but it is safer to use a solicitor as problems can arise after your death if there are mistakes or if the Will is not entirely clear.
If you don’t make a Will, there are laws which will decide who is entitled to inherit your money and property, but this may not be who you would have wanted to inherit. You should keep your Will up to date if your family changes, particularly if you divorce or marry or have children. See our guide 'Making your Will' for more information.
You may want to plan your funeral too; many families are shocked by the price of a funeral and at the extra costs which can be involved. See below for our Arranging a Funeral guide.
If you are responsible for arranging and paying for someone else's funeral, and you are receiving certain benefits, you may be eligible for a Funeral Support Payment. You can download our Funeral Support Payment guide below.
The Money Advice Service has information about funeral costs which can help you to plan a funeral and the Scottish Government has a guide to planning your own funeral, which you can download below.
For detailed information about registering a death, arranging an funeral and sorting out an estate when someone has died see the Scottish Government publication What to do after a Death in Scotland and the Citizens Advice Scotland advice website.
The Age Scotland Helpline
Our free 0800 12 44 222 helpline is a free, confidential phone service for older people, their carers and families in Scotland. Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.