Making a will: Discussing all things wills on the radio

Making a will and keeping it up-to-date is a crucial step towards ensuring your wishes are properly carried out, and that those closest to you are looked after when you’re no longer around.

Recently, our inheritance & trusts disputes specialist, Claire Cox, took to BBC Radio Gloucestershire to discuss the importance of wills and how they can help to avoid problems further down the line after you have passed away.

To listen to the full interview, please click on the video at the top of this page.

How does making a will protect my family?

If you die without a valid will in place, it means that you are ‘intestate’. Dying intestate means that your estate is not necessarily distributed in accordance with your wishes, and is instead split via a strict set of rules.

Your closest living relatives will then have to apply for letters of administration, which often leads to arguments amongst family members. A wide range of disputes tend to arise, including those related to deciding who should take charge, property and inheritance.

Making a will would help reduce the risk of these disagreements from breaking out because you would have clearly stated your wishes and your family would be inclined to respect them. Avoiding disputes can only help towards preserving the relationships within your family after you’ve passed.

Why is it important to choose the right executors when making a will?

Executorship is a big role, and should be one of the first things you consider when making a will. It’s important to choose the right executors because these are the people who are going to be in charge of your assets, bank accounts, debts and selling your house – they have complete control so you need to be able to trust them.

You should also consider – when choosing multiple executors – whether or not the individuals get along well with one another. A large number of disputes involve warring executors who don’t like each other, and can’t agree on what to do and who’s going to do what.

Choosing the right people after careful consideration will help to ensure the smoothest process possible.

Why is it important to regularly review and update your will?

We encourage people to think about updating your will every three to five years. This is so it accurately reflects your current wishes in the event that things have changed since it was either first written or last updated.

Big life events – like divorce, marriage, birth of children and cohabitation – should all trigger a review of your will. It’s possible that, otherwise, outdated wishes could lead to your estate being passed on to an ex-partner, or passed on without provision for a new child, for example.

If you have any questions or queries about wills or planning for the future, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team of experts.

Our Legal 500-rated wills, trusts & probate team has the expertise to help you plan for the future.