Do I need a Will?

The answer to that is YES if you care about what happens to your property after you die. If you don’t have one then the State directs who will inherit from you and that means that your friends, favourite charities and even your relatives may get nothing.

I am not married, do I make a Will?

It is particularly important to make a Will if you are not married or are not in a registered civil partnership. The reason for this is that the law does not automatically recognise partners who live together as having the same rights as husbands, wives and civil partners. The result being that even if you have lived together for many years, your partner may be left with nothing and will have to issue costly court proceedings to obtain what may be rightfully theirs upon your death if you have not made a Will.

If you have children or dependants who may not be able to care for themselves, a Will is vital as without a Will there is no certainty as to who will look after them or provide for them if you should die. Under a Will you can appoint testamentary guardians.

We at Eskinazi & Co. can draft a Will for you and advise on how inheritance tax may affect what you own. Once you have had a Will prepared, some changes to your circumstances, for example marriage, civil partnership, separation, divorce or if your civil partnership is legally ended can make all or part of that Will invalid which means that you should review your Will regularly to reflect any major life changes. At Eskinazi & Co. we can tell you what changes may be necessary to update your Will.

Please contact Christina Theodorou who will be able to assist and advise you.

Why do I need a solicitor?

Without the help of an expert, there is a real risk that you could make a mistake. Such mistakes can cause problems for your family or friends after your death.

The charges for drawing up a Will depend on how complicated your Will may be.

If you would like more information or to discuss this with Christina, please contact her on 020 8445 7707 and she will be happy to assist you.