Making a Will at Home

Just follow a few simple rules to make your will legit. Once you've made your will, pat yourself on the back - but don't stop there. To make your will valid and ensure that your wishes will be honoured, you need to take a few more simple steps.

Most people don't need a lawyer to make their will. With good self-help materials, it's not difficult to make a will that takes care of basic concerns, such as leaving a home, investments, a small business and personal items to your loved ones.

You should sign and date your will in front of two adult witnesses. And if a lawyer drafted your will, he or she should not serve as a witness. You don't need to file your will with any government department or similar agency. If you move house, generally, a will is valid in any country where you die, if it was valid under the laws of the state or country that was your principal home when the will was made.

But consider what can happen if you die without leaving a will. How does a will protect my children? Having a will ensures that your family - especially small children - will be taken care of if you die unexpectedly.

What should you put in you Will? Your Will should cover at least three important things: identifying the executor of your estate, naming a guardian for your children, and determining who will receive your assets.

The guardian and trustee can be the same person or two different people. Besides deciding how to divide your assets and whom to name as guardian of your children, you may also want to leave specific instructions regarding charitable contributions, organ donation, and funeral arrangements.

Your executor is responsible for administering the Will. They will carry out the instructions that put into your Will

You also need a Guardian if you have young children. You can use your Will to name the guardian to take care of them, as well as someone to manage any property they inherit. Even if you think you have little or no property to leave your children, it's worth making a Will at home to make sure you are the one who chooses their guardian.

The courts may not recognize your unmarried partner as the guardian unless you name him or her the guardian in your will, so they may need to be named. This is surprising to many people and it is well worth bearing in mind so that your wishes in this respect are followed. How would you feel if your children ended up being in the care of anyone that you have not personally selected and approved?

You can amend or renew your Will at any time in the future. Every five years is a good guide for a review but you should certainly revisit it should you have children, get married or divorced or if there are any other material changes in your circumstances.

Changes can be made by using a Codicil (a note that is added to the existing Will) but because most Wills are now prepared on a PC it really is just as easy to amend the existing one, print it off, go through the witnessing and create a brand new Will. This also reduces the chances of any mistakes which could create difficulties later on.

A warning to you, though. Preparing a DIY Will could make you vulnerable to making legal mistakes. Such an error might well render Will completely invalid, part of it ineffective, or even have the reverse effect of what you intended. Wouldn't it be best to try and find some way for an expert to check the document for you? The remarkably small amount of money involved surely makes it worthwhile.

You can sleep soundly at night knowing that you have done the right thing and taken good care of your loved ones at a time when they will need it. Your children, beneficiaries and wider circle of family and friends might well thank you for it one day.

Find more information about making a Will at www-wills.co.uk www-wills.co.uk

Make your UK Will cheaper than using a solicitor at www-wills.co.uk Making a Will