Making a 1st Will

AeroMaxx

I am a 40-year-old man and I currently do not have a will, and with recent events, I thought now would be a good time as any to make one.  I've done some research and it seems I need two witnesses but that they cant be people who will benefit from the will, this makes it complex.  I'm not sure who I could get to be my witness, I read I could get a GP to be a witness, do witnesses need to attend somewhere or do I just need them to sign a form or something, how does it work?

I have seen it was recommended that I get a solicitor to do my will for me, and was going to take that advice.

Magnolia

Your witnesses can be any old Tom !!!!!!(Richard!) or Harry just as long as they are not beneficiaries and they actually witness you signing the will.  
I would also say to get a solicitor to do your will.  We did and he came up with scenarios we just hadn't thought of! 

badger09

AeroMaxx said:

I am a 40-year-old man and I currently do not have a will, and with recent events, I thought now would be a good time as any to make one.  I've done some research and it seems I need two witnesses but that they cant be people who will benefit from the will, this makes it complex.  I'm not sure who I could get to be my witness, I read I could get a GP to be a witness, do witnesses need to attend somewhere or do I just need them to sign a form or something, how does it work?

I have seen it was recommended that I get a solicitor to do my will for me, and was going to take that advice.

You need 2 people, who are not beneficiaries in your will, to witness they saw you signing the will. Its advised to have your will properly drawn up by your solicitor and they will normally provide witnesses when you sign. Obviously that is more difficult at the moment but you could ask a few local solicitors what they suggest. Its isn't necessary, and in fact not generally recommended on here to appoint the solicitor as your Executor. 

GPs can be witnesses, but at the moment they are probably much better occupied looking after people's health 

pphillips

The witnesses can't be married to a beneficiary either.

Mojisola

AeroMaxx said:

I've done some research and it seems I need two witnesses but that they cant be people who will benefit from the will, this makes it complex. 

I have seen it was recommended that I get a solicitor to do my will for me, and was going to take that advice.

The witnesses both need to be present and see you sign the will and see each other sign as witnesses.

You can ask around for recommendations for a solicitor or phone a few up and ask about the cost for a simple will.

AeroMaxx

Magnolia said:

I would also say to get a solicitor to do your will.  We did and he came up with scenarios we just hadn't thought of! 

Thanks for the reply, I was intending to do that once this has all blown over.

badger09 said:

You need 2 people, who are not beneficiaries in your will, to witness they saw you signing the will. Its advised to have your will properly drawn up by your solicitor and they will normally provide witnesses when you sign.

Oh, that would be ideal! Save me the headache of trying to find someone to be a witness (I'm a gamer at heart, so this lockdown in the UK at the moment is like everyday life for me)

badger09 said:
Its isn't necessary, and in fact not generally recommended on here to appoint the solicitor as your Executor.

I hadn't thought that far ahead would someone who is going to benefit from my will still be able to be a Executor, if not then I have no one to be my Executor, that is without using a family member that I haven't seen since I was 2 years old.

badger09 said:
GPs can be witnesses, but at the moment they are probably much better occupied looking after people's health 

Oh yes, I am aware of that and wasn't going to, I was just going to sort it out once this is all over, this has just made me think that I should probably really have a will.

Mojisola

I hadn't thought that far ahead would someone who is going to benefit from my will still be able to be a solicitor, if not then I have no one to be my Executor, that is without using a family member that I haven't seen since I was 2 years old.

It's often a good idea to have one (or more) of your beneficiaries as the executor/s.  If they don't feel up to the job when the time comes, they can employ a solicitor to do the work.

A good solicitor will suggest that you think about what you want to happen if any beneficiaries die before you do and also to have a back-up executor in case the chosen one can't act.

badger09

AeroMaxx said:

Magnolia said:

I would also say to get a solicitor to do your will.  We did and he came up with scenarios we just hadn't thought of! 

Thanks for the reply, I was intending to do that once this has all blown over.

badger09 said:

You need 2 people, who are not beneficiaries in your will, to witness they saw you signing the will. Its advised to have your will properly drawn up by your solicitor and they will normally provide witnesses when you sign.

Oh, that would be ideal! Save me the headache of trying to find someone to be a witness (I'm a gamer at heart, so this lockdown in the UK at the moment is like everyday life for me)

badger09 said:
Its isn't necessary, and in fact not generally recommended on here to appoint the solicitor as your Executor.

I hadn't thought that far ahead would someone who is going to benefit from my will still be able to be a solicitor, if not then I have no one to be my Executor, that is without using a family member that I haven't seen since I was 2 years old.

badger09 said:
GPs can be witnesses, but at the moment they are probably much better occupied looking after people's health 

Oh yes, I am aware of that and wasn't going to, I was just going to sort it out once this is all over, this has just made me think that I should probably really have a will.

Did you mean Executor rather then solicitor?

A beneficiary can be an Executor, in fact that's probably a good idea as Mojisola said. Also a good idea to appoint executors who are younger than you, and who can get along with each other if at all possible. Without going into too much detail, who do want to leave your estate to?

AeroMaxx

badger09 said:
Did you mean Executor rather then solicitor?

A beneficiary can be an Executor, in fact that's probably a good idea as Mojisola said. Also a good idea to appoint executors who are younger than you, and who can get along with each other if at all possible. Without going into too much detail, who do want to leave your estate to?

Urgh! Yes typo, I meant Executor not solicitor!
I don't have a partner, or any kids of my own, and I have two half siblings who are both older than me, one sibling has kids at university, the other has kids who are much older, and they also have kids of their own, so I could ask one of them to be my executor and I was going to leave my estate to their kids also.  I don't own any property, I just have material things like a car and the usual.

Savvy_Sue

You could add a child from each family as reserve executors, it's always a good idea to have more than one executor. Our wills appoint the survivor, with our sons named as able to do it if the survivor isn't able or willing to do it. 

That gives the will a lot of future proofing - your siblings are older than you so, being realistic they may die before you. Their children are over 18 so can act as executors. It may seem a lot to expect of youngsters in their 20s, but then you hope that's not going to be relevant, and the other set of youngsters are older. 

Comms69

Just to be pedantic, you make a last will, not a first