Many clients advise that the thought of making a Will is very daunting and overwhelming and that they often put off making a Will because of these reasons. When making a Will at FJG we try to make the process simple and straightforward for our clients.
When contacting our office you will be provided with an appointment with a Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive suited to your locality or if you have a specific request as to who you would like to act on your behalf this will be met if possible. The first appointment can be face to face in the office or at your home, by video call or telephone. It should last up to an hour depending on how complex the individual’s needs are. After the first appointment a draft will is prepared and sent for approval. Once the Will is approved a second appointment will be made for the signing and witnessing.
Preparation is key and by having details of your assets and liabilities to hand in readiness for your first appointment will help the Fee Earner ascertain the value of your estate and advise you on any potential Inheritance Tax liability that you might have. It is a good idea to have any Land Registration documentation available at the first meeting to show the Fee Earner so that ownership of any property that you own can be determined and accounted for correctly in your Will.
As a firm we do use an introductory programme called ‘Settify’ and if you are able to we will send you a link via email to start the induction process. Settify is an online tool which will prompt you for the information that the Fee Earner would normally ask you at the first appointment and enables you to complete as much or as little information as you would like via the form which is then accessible by the Fee Earner. The Fee Earner can then look through the information that you have submitted prior to any appointment and have an insight as to your personal background and assets before meeting with you.
At the appointment the Fee Earner will have a set of questions to ask and go through with you this includes things like your personal details, family background, assets and liabilities, pets and children. The Fee Earner will then ask you who you would like to appoint as Executors, Trustees and Guardians (if needed) in your will together with how your assets should be divided and to whom. Again do not worry if you have not made an exact decision on who you would like to appoint in certain roles these can be added to your draft will at any time and before the original is approved and signed.
Funeral wishes can also be recorded in your Will or separately depending on how much detail you would like to include. Some clients do not like to include any preference of their funeral wishes and others like to, this is down to each individual.
We will also advise on the necessary steps to take when excluding any persons from your will who may be entitled to make a claim against your estate on your death. It is important at your first meeting that you provide the names of all persons who may be eligible to make a claim against your estate on your death even though you do not intend to include them.
The Fee Earner is there to advise you and answer any questions that you might have. So it’s a good idea to make a list before your appointment of any questions that you have. You will probably find that any questions you do have will be answered by the Fee Earner throughout the meeting without you having to actually ask them.
Once all the information has been taken the Fee Earner will prepare a draft Will which is sent to you for your approval. It is important to read through the draft will carefully and if there are any changes to be made to let us know so that these can be made before the original Will is printed for signing.
If there is any information that you are unsure of at your appointment then this can be added to the draft copy Will at a later date but before the original is approved and signed.
Once you have read through and approved the draft copy of the Will a second appointment can be made for the signing and witnessing. The Fee Earner and another member of staff will count as your two witnesses so you do not need to worry about finding your own witnesses.
The will is then stored at your local FJG office for safekeeping and a copy will be provided for you to keep at home.
Making a will does not have to be complicated or stressful and we hope that by making your Will with one of our experienced Solicitors or Chartered Legal Executives that you find the process straightforward.
If I or a colleague can assist you with the planning of your affairs then please feel free to contact us by calling 01206835261 or emailing [email protected].