It is important that you have a current will, regardless of how simple or complex your circumstances.
A will enables you to control how your property, investments and possessions are distributed after your death. Without a will, your property and assets will be divided according to what the law says and not your wishes. This could have disastrous consequences for your surviving spouse, civil partner, cohabitee or children.
Our specialist solicitors can guide you through the process of making or updating a will. We can meet with you to discuss your situation and create a will suitable for your own personal circumstances. We can advise you on sensitive issues such as appointing guardians for young children or providing for children from a previous relationship.
We can also consider if there are opportunities to save inheritance tax or protect assets from the impact of possible long term care costs.

Living Wills

A living will or advance directive is a document which sets out your views about the medical treatment or care you would like to receive if you were to find yourself in a situation where you could not communicate your wishes about these matters e.g. as a result of a degenerative illness, terminal illness or accident. If you have strong views about the healthcare you would wish to receive in this situation it is advisable to prepare a living will or advance directive to make clear your views on what you would like to happen in those circumstances. The document can then be lodged with your solicitors, a copy given to your doctor and to your close family/friends so that they are aware of your wishes. We can prepare such documents for you.
As with any legal document, it is important that you review it regularly and keep it up to date as your circumstances or views may change.

Registration of Wills and Searching for Wills

If you make a will but it cannot be found after you have died then your estate will be distributed under the laws of intestacy, which will not necessarily reflect your wishes. You can help protect the interests of your beneficiaries by having your will registered with Certainty.
Certainty is a national wills register and will search service. Druitts are members of Certainty and therefore when you make a will we can, with your permission, register details of it on your behalf. The Certainty Register does not hold a copy of your will. It records that you have made a will, gives details of the date of the will, the names and addresses of your Executors and where the will is stored.
Following your death, if your family or beneficiaries are unaware of where your original will is held then they can carry out a search through Certainty which will put them in contact with us.
The Certainty will search service can also be used to trace a missing will, which you need to locate in order to deal with the estate of someone you know who has died. Further information about Certainty can be found on their website.

We would be happy to discuss any aspect of your will please contact one of our specialist solicitors by email or telephone them on 01202 551863.