Will Writing for the under 30's
You're in your twenties. You're just getting started in life. You don't need to worry about a Will just yet - Wills are something you take care of later in life, right?
Wrong.
You may be just getting started in life, but by your 30s, you may have put a foot on the rungs of the property ladder, have married or at least be involved in a long-term relationship and have started a family.
But did you realise that unless you have a valid Will in place, you may have no say in what happens to your estate should the unthinkable happen and you suffer a premature death?
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Particularly in this modern society, where people do not necessarily wait for marriage to start a family and begin making a home together, did you realise that if you die intestate - without a Will - your partner may have no legal claim whatsoever to your estate? They may even have no right to continue living in the home you built together.
In the event of you dying without a Will, the Laws of Intestacy will apply and there is no guarantee that those you care for will be properly taken care of as you would have wished.
If you already have children, one of the most pressing calls to prepare your Will is that it will allow you to appoint Guardians for your children should both you and your partner die.
Despite popular opinion, godparents have no legal right to care for their godchildren should the parents die - unless Guardians are officially appointed the children will become "Wards of Court" and their fate determined by Social Services.
But, the good news is that it is very easy to have a Will prepared and to protect your estate. An initial consultation with us need take no more than an hour, after which we can prepare the Will in accordance with your wishes before presenting it to you for signing and witnessing.
WHAT AGE CAN I WRITE
MY WILL?
In the UK, you must be at least 18 years old to make a Will, unless you are a solider on active duty or a sailor at sea, in which case you can be any age.
WHEN IS IT IMPORTANT TO
MAKE A WILL?
If you’re cohabiting, then your partner will not be entitled to anything under the rules of intestacy. If you want to leave them anything, you will need to make a Will.
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If you jointly own a property, that could also pass under the rules of intestacy, depending on the type of ownership you have.
If you own the property with someone as tenants in common, then they will not automatically inherit your share, rather it will pass in accordance with the rules of intestacy, or under the terms of your Will.
This means that if you and your partner have bought a home together, they will not necessarily receive your share of it should you die.