After making an appointment, lots of clients ask their professional LSUK consultant ‘what should I do to prepare for our meeting?’ Here’s a list of what LSUK suggest:
Collect together any previous wills and related paperwork; it will be necessary to look them over to see what needs to be carried forward
Think about what has promoted you to make a Will now; write down the reasons and anything that you want to ask about
What are your main objectives or concerns in making your Will; write them down
Make a full list (even if the figures are guesstimates or roughly right) of all of your assets and liabilities; we need to look over your tax situation on death and see if you can make your plans for your will distribution actually happen correctly, by law
Make notes about your children (do they have families?) and how you’d like them to receive part or all of your estate
Are your parents still alive and do you have legacies on the way to you?
Do you have siblings and are they to be included in your will distribution?
Who would you want to administer your estate if you alone and then your spouse/partner had died?
Who would you want to look after your children if they were under eighteen if you had both died early?
Who else would you like to leave a gift to? It might be money, an item or it may be property or something else to a charity
What experience of estate administration have you had? Don’t worry, most people say nothing!
If you run a business would you want it to continue and how? Who would you want your share to go to?
Who would look after your finances if you were too ill to do it yourself?
Is there anything else you’d like to think about; please make notes?
As you can see this isn’t a complete list, but a starting point. As all individuals differ, the circumstances and choices are often completely different so hopefully the short list above gives you enough to start your thinking and planning.
Filed under: Legal Advice, Wills
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