Many people assume that making a Will is complicated, but by providing you with the right advice Beaulieu Wills and Estate Planning (BWEP) will help you every step of the way, we make the Will Writing process easy.

For initial advice about making a Will call our Will writers on 07919 241386 or contact us online at ian.nicholson@bwep.uk and we will help get the right Will for you.

What to Do First

Before you start to think about ‘how’ to make your Will, there are some decisions that you’re going to need to make.

The first decision is what type of Will is best for you. There are different types of Wills, including a Single Will, Mirror Wills and Trust Wills.

How to Make a Single Will

A Single Will is best for people who want to record their own individual wishes, and who don’t want to create a Trust Will.

When making a Single Will, you need to decide:

• Who’s going to benefit from your Estate when you die, and in what proportions. These people are called your Beneficiaries
• Who’s going to benefit from your Estate if the Beneficiaries have died before you
• Who’s going to look after your children that are under the age of 18. These people are called Legal Guardians
• Who’s going to wind up your affairs when you die. These people are called your Executors
• Whether you want to leave any gifts to charities, and if so, how much
• Whether you want any specific funeral arrangements

You can either have made these decisions before you start to make your Will or you can discuss your thoughts with your BWEP Will Writer at your appointment. Once you’ve decided want you want to do you’ll need to have certain information to hand, including the names and addresses of your Beneficiaries, Executors and Legal Guardians.

When you’re ready to start the process of making a Will then you can speak to our Wills team to answer any initial questions and get a fixed fee quote. You can write a Will yourself, but you run the risk of a mistake being made, meaning it may not be legally valid after you pass away. If so, any wishes that you’ve recorded may not be taken into account and the law could decide who gets what instead.

Once you’ve had your Will writing appointment you’ll receive the draft Will. You’ll need to check that everything has been accurately recorded. If you’d like any amendments, simply ask your BWEP Will writer to make the changes at this stage. When you’ve got the final version, you need to sign the Will in front of two independent witnesses. These witnesses will then need to sign the Will in your presence.

Afterwards your Will is legally effective and you’ll need to store your Will somewhere safe. BWEP offer lifetime secure storage of your Will for a nominal annual fee. It’s sometimes a good idea to let loved ones know where the original Will is kept.

How to Make a Mirror Will

Mirror Wills are best for couples who have very similar wishes. Take, for example, Mr and Mrs Smith. They want to leave everything to each other, and after they’ve both passed away, they want to distribute their entire Estate equally between their children. Their wishes mirror each other, the main difference being that if Mr Smith dies first, he leaves everything to his wife, whereas if Mrs Smith dies first, she leaves everything to her husband.

So you and your partner will need to decide what to write in your Mirror Wills together, as your wishes should reflect each other’s. However some things may differ, such as your individual funeral arrangements or specific gifts of smaller sentimental items.

When making a Mirror Will, you need to have the same type of information ready as you would when making a Single Will. For instance, the names and addresses of your Beneficiaries, Executors and Legal Guardians.

Like a Single Will, you ask a professional BWEP Will writer to draft your Mirror Wills. Again, you’ll need to sign the documents in front of two independent witnesses.

You can also set up Trusts to benefit each other and your beneficiaries.  BWEP will explain this to you when you meet.