Making a will

Making a will – things to consider

Choose who will record your will

•  Whether you organise your will with a solicitor, your bank or another professional institution, talk through the various points before making your first draft. If you are unsure about how to phrase your will a solicitor will be able to give you an outline to work around.

Your partner

•  If you are not married and you are the mother, make sure that the will states your partner has guardianship of your children should you die. Even the natural father of your children might have to go through a legal process to gain this right if your legal next of kin decides to exert their priviledge as main guardian.

Guardians

•  Think about who you would ask to be the guardians of your child or children should you both pass away. Think through what kinds of situation that person or family is in and if this is likely to be a good place for your children in your absence. It is also vital to give your proposed guardians plenty of time to really think this commitment through before you get an answer from them.

Updates

•  Whether you only have one or two children now, it is a good idea to word your will so that any estate left to them covers all children you might have in the future. Should you go on to have more children who are not added to a new will you might unintentionally cause great distress and hardship.

Trustees

•  You will want to consider how your estate is managed. In the instance of your death you will probably want your estate to go to your partner with provision for your children immediately and possibly with a further fund when they come of age. However this will depend entirely on your own personal and financial circumstances.