Some Interesting Facts About Wills

Every individual over the age of 18 should have a Will, whether rich or poor, male or female, single, married or with a Civil Partner. Here are just a few good reasons why.

Without a Will:

• We think our spouse/civil partner will automatically receive all of our estate, but they won't!
• If you are single (ie. not married or you do not have a civil partner), under the laws of intestacy (dying without a Will) your partner will not receive anything from your estate

'Over 70% of the population have not got a valid Will'

• Guardianship of minor children is uncertain if the parents die without a Will that appoints guardians - Would you want your children to become a Ward of Court?
• Children may inherit substantial sums of money at a time when they are not mature enough to manage such sums. A Will can control the release of money to your children.

Longest Will - Mrs Frederica Cook - 95,940 words, bound in four volumes

• A family can suffer acute financial hardship because of delays in the administration of an estate.
• Many family heirlooms are lost because no one can decide who can have them, so they are sold.
• Millions of pounds of inheritance tax are unnecessarily paid each year due to a lack of planning which can be dealt with in the Will of the deceased.

Shortest English Will - 'All for Mother' in which his mother was his wife, not his mother. It was contested and later admitted for probate in 1906

• Charities, friends and distant relatives will not benefit without a Will.
• Thousands of home owners lose the equity they own in their home if they need long term care and such equity is used to pay for such care, with pre-planning this could have been avoided

Oldest Will - found on Wall of Tomb of Kings - dated back to 2600 BC!

• Family wealth will not be protected from spendthrift beneficiaries or beneficiaries with anti-social habits such as alcohol or drug abuse.
• Funds left for disabled beneficiaries will often be used to pay for the care of such persons and prevent them from claiming certain state benefits - and who will manage their funds.