Telephone: 01738 442299

Email: info@kirklands-law.co.uk

Will & Estate Planning Services

A

Will

is

one

of

the

most

important

documents

that

you

may

ever

prepare.

A

well-written

Will

should

give

you

peace

of

mind

in

knowing

that

your

wishes

will

take

place

and

you

have

taken

care

of

everyone.

This

minimises

upset

and

anxiety

for

your loved ones.

For a Will to be legally valid, certain formalities have to be observed and a correctly drafted Will ensures that your spouse or partner, children, family, friends and any charities are properly provided for. It is estimated that 7 out of 10 people in Scotland do not have a Will. If you do not have a valid Will, then you are not in control of who inherits your hard earned assets. You cannot assume that any spouse, life partner or children will inherit everything. To die without a Will is to die ‘Intestate.’ That means that the Scots law of intestacy with a formula of ‘prior and legal rights’ decides who will inherit from you and this may not be what you want to happen! In addition, there are costly and time consuming extra formalities required in administering your estate after you die if you do not have a valid Will. Why risk your loved ones not inheriting what you want them to? Some of the important points that we advise you on in our Standard Will Service are as follows:

• The appointment of trusted people (known as 'executors') to administer your estate in accordance with your wishes in your Will • The beneficiaries of your estate • Appointment of legal guardians for any children under 16 • Provision for any pets to be cared for • Specific legacies – you may wish to give certain articles and/or fixed cash legacies to specific persons/charities • Funeral Requests – this can ease the burden on your loved ones, if they know what you would wish to happen and who you would wish to organise your funeral. We can let the local undertakers know now what you want to happen when the time comes

Your situation might require more expert advice and we offer an Enhanced Will & Estate Planning Service to advise you on:

• The beneficiaries of your estate • Consideration of future care home costs • Trust provision for young children • Trust provision for a disabled person or an older family member who is unable to deal with their own affairs • Trust provision for the protection of assets – for example, in second marriages when you wish your own assets to pass ultimately to your children, or for business assets where there may be succession issues in the next generation

We can help you create the Will that best suits your needs and circumstances, or we can review your existing Will to see that it still reflects your wishes. It is important to review your Will regularly.