Everytime I see a client (new or existing) I ask the question about whether they have a will.
For a large proportion of these people the answer comes back as
- ‘No, do I need one?’
- ‘No, we’ve been meaning to sort that out for a while..’
- ‘Yes that’s on our pile of things to do’
We have pretty much always had the ability to forward on details to someone who can provide expert advice in this regard but I was recently introduced to Gemma Young from Setfords.
She has been in the legal industry for many years having worked at a few local firms is now linked with a large national chain of solicitors, working from home.
She visits clients in their own home, goes through all the necessary aspects of a will, their wishes and she can also talk about Powers of Attorney. She is able to act for the estate too, when the time comes.
Her charges appear very reasonable considering the time taken to write and prepare a will properly, and her knowledge far exceeds other so called ‘will writers’ (who have often only been on a simple course before entering the market). Gemma has full legal qualifications and years of industry experience to enable her to know how best to represent the many varied circumstances clients can present.
In her own words:
Reasons to make a Will
Your will tells everyone what should happen to your money, possessions and property after you die (all these things together are called your ‘estate’). If you don’t leave a will, the law decides how your estate is passed on – and this might not be in line with your wishes.
- A will makes it much easier for your family or friends to sort everything out when you die – without a will the process can be more time consuming and stressful.
- If you don’t write a will, everything you own will be distributed defined by the law – which isn’t always the way you might want.
- A will can help reduce the amount of Inheritance Tax that might be payable on the value of the property and money you leave behind.
- Writing a will is especially important if you have children or other family who depend on you financially, or if you want to leave something to people outside your immediate family.
Your wishes and who carries them out, your will tells people two very important things:
- Who should have your money, property and possessions when you die.
- Who will be in charge of organising your estate and following the instructions you leave in your will – this person is called your ‘executor’, and you can name more than one person if you want to.
- You can also use your will to tell people about any other wishes you have, like instructions for your burial or cremation.
Gemma Young
Don’t leave it too late to arrange your affairs.
If you would like us to put you in touch with Gemma then please call me on the numbers below Herts: 01442 252 040 or Beds & Bucks: 01525 877 650 or Mobile: 07710 770 969. Alternatively, you can email me on advice@sbms-online.co.uk.
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