What Do I Need To Include In My Will

Your final will and testament is your last chance to make sure your family and any other beneficiaries are provided for after you are gone. If you have children it is also the place you can specify who you would like to be guardian of your children should you pass away.

What should you include in your will?

1. Outline beneficiaries. This is the people who will inherit from your estate. These will more often than not be family members, your children, your partner, and charitable causes.

2. If you have children you must specify whom will take guardianship of your children should you pass away, you may also want to put saving into place for them to access when they turn 21 or funding into place to contribute to their care or education.

3. The executors must be named. This should be someone you trust fully. You can also have more than one executor. The executor of your Will ensures that your estate is split up and distributed as you stipulated within your Will. You may wish to ask a family member to be an executor, or an accountant or solicitor. With regards to executors and guardians you must make sure that they are aware they have been given this role and ensure they are happy to take on that responsibility.

4. Exclusions from the Will. If there are any exclusions from the Will that may be deemed controversial in the eyes of the law you must give good reason for the exclusion to make sure your request is not overridden by a court of law.

5. Funeral arrangements.

6. Should you wish to leave your body to medical science stipulate this.

7. Make sure any criteria which need to be fulfilled to receive a gift are fulfilled. For example if you are leaving money to a charity for use on a specific project make sure you put this in, and if you are leaving a young child money which you do not want them to have access to until they are a certain age, make sure this is included in your terms.

Make sure you regularly update your Will if your circumstances change. This will be important to make sure there is no confusion and ensure that your family are not caught in the throes of a complicated legal battle to receive what they are entitled to after you are gone. Remember everyone is different and this not an extensive list, you may require further legal instruction to make sure you have all bases covered.


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