Wills

No one likes thinking about his or her own mortality.
However, making a Will is one of the most important things you will ever do.

Put simply, making a Will is the only way you can guarantee that your property passes to the people you want it to – and that any children are left in the care of guardians of your choosing.

Is it time you made a Will?
Please download our leaflet here.

How much does a Will cost?

Simple Will for one person - from £400 + VAT at 20%
Simple ‘mirror’ Wills (ie husband/wife) - from £500 + VAT at 20%
Single Will incorporating a straight forward Trust - from £550 + VAT at 20%
Mirror Wills incorporating straight forward Trusts - from £650 + VAT at 20%
Specialist Wills - anything more complicated and/or where extensive tax planning advice is required will be costed on a time-spent basis
No annual storage fee

Why you need a Will:

Without a Will, there is no guarantee that your desires will be carried out after your death.

Please download our leaflet here

A Will is legally binding and therefore reduces the chance of disputes and states exactly what goes where, when and to whom.
Without a Will, the court will follow the Laws of Intestacy, as shown here.

Points to consider:

A Will gives you the opportunity to make informed decisions about the care of any children that you may have. If you know who you would like to raise your children, you should ensure this is in your Will. Without this, the court will decide between family members or a state-appointed guardian.
All estates go through the Probate process, but if you have a Will in place this reduces the amount of time that it takes.
Probate courts ‘administer your estate’ and if you die without a Will, the court has to decide how to divide your estate, which can cause long delays that could have been prevented.
Planning your estate and detailing this in a Will can help to reduce Inheritance Tax.
For example, making gifts and donations or setting up trusts can help to reduce inheritance taxes.
You can choose who will be the Executor/s of your Will and will wind up the affairs of your estate. This will include notifying your bank and other establishments of your death, paying bills, canceling credit cards and accounts etc. This is an extremely important role and you should appoint someone (who may or may not be a member of your family) who can manage these tasks.
A Will can be changed! Your Will can be updated at any time while you’re still alive. This means that any life changes such as births, divorces, deaths and their related circumstances can be incorporated into your Will and wishes after your death.

Here at Cozens-Hardy we have a hugely experienced and friendly team of solicitors who can guide you through the process of making a Will as well as advise on other critically important issues for you and your family.

You can download a leaflet about other services we provide here