Why make a Will?

More than two thirds of the population have not made a will and for all these people, an Act of Parliament will decide who may wind up their affairs and who will benefit from their estate.

"The Intestacy Rules" mean that only your immediate family will inherit.

The Rules will not allow your estate to pass to an unmarried partner, to charity or to a step-family. They do not allow you to give a memento to a friend, provide for a pet or minimise the tax liability of your estate.

Even if you would like your estate to pass to your immediate family, you may prefer to decide how much your surviving relatives receive rather than leave it to the limits set down by Parliament; to choose the persons to act as guardians for your children and the age at which they will inherit your assets; and to ensure that the Inland Revenue's share of your estate is kept to a minimum.

Nearly two thirds of people who have made a Will never update it even though most will experience events that will have dramatic consequences for their Wills.

Marriage, divorce, births, deaths, financial gains and losses may all affect your circumstances. Furthermore the taxation of estates changes from year to year.

Making a Will is a good time to review the wider management of your affairs. Financial planning in your Will is most helpful but life-time planning can be even more effective to reduce or eliminate your liability to taxation. Maybe you should consider an Lasting Power of Attorney to provide for future mental or physical frailty.

Keep control - make a Will

Why choose Photiades?

We aim to provide a friendly and expert service with clear and simple explanations in plain English. Although we appreciate the benefits of word processing to keep costs down, we tailor our Wills and explanations to suit the circumstances of each individual client. Once your Will is completed we will store it for you free of charge so you can be sure it is safe and secure.

We received praise from the experts retained by the Consumer's Association in Which? magazine in a nationwide survey of solicitors, banks and Will writing agencies. Their comment on our performance was "an object lesson in how to produce excellent Wills".

Ask for us for an estimate of the fees and a Will questionnaire without obligation.