Which?Wills

mmass

Hi, just wondering if anyone has completed a Which? will.  I am looking at writing a mirror will for me and my partner - we are 44, but not married and have children so need a will.  I have tried to do an online one via my union (unison) but it is asking lots of detailed information about my assets like the value of my house, car, posessions and I have to fill in how much money I want to leave to each person, ie. an actual amount, where I would like to state a percentage.  Hopefully I'm not going anywhere yet, so my circumstances in later life will be different, we currently have a mortgage, I may no longer have a car etc.  I was looking at the which? will as an alternative but can't see what questions you have to answer prior to purchasing the will.  So, was just wondering if anyone else had completed a which? will and could shed a bit of light on what kind of information you need to provide (I like the idea of being able to complete it at home but having it checked by a solicitor, which is what they offer) and they're reduced price ends in September.  Thanks in advance for any advice.

Dox

mmass said:

Hi, just wondering if anyone has completed a Which? will.  I am looking at writing a mirror will for me and my partner - we are 44, but not married and have children so need a will.  I have tried to do an online one via my union (unison) but it is asking lots of detailed information about my assets like the value of my house, car, posessions and I have to fill in how much money I want to leave to each person, ie. an actual amount, where I would like to state a percentage.  Hopefully I'm not going anywhere yet, so my circumstances in later life will be different, we currently have a mortgage, I may no longer have a car etc.  I was looking at the which? will as an alternative but can't see what questions you have to answer prior to purchasing the will.  So, was just wondering if anyone else had completed a which? will and could shed a bit of light on what kind of information you need to provide (I like the idea of being able to complete it at home but having it checked by a solicitor, which is what they offer) and they're reduced price ends in September.  Thanks in advance for any advice.

You have children, you aren't married and you haven't got a will. The alarm bells should be clanging loud and clear. The priority is getting a will done properly by a solicitor, not opting for the cheapest option you can find. If you and your partner are both killed in the same car crash, and there are no guardianship arrangements set out in a valid will, it's the local authority who will take the decisions about the future of your children. Is that really what you want?

xylophone

See a solicitor.

Brynsam

mmass said:

So, was just wondering if anyone else had completed a which? will and could shed a bit of light on what kind of information you need to provide (I like the idea of being able to complete it at home but having it checked by a solicitor, which is what they offer) and they're reduced price ends in September.  Thanks in advance for any advice.

You may not be planning to 'go anywhere' yet, but you have only to look at the number of threads on this forum where people say plaintively that someone died without a will because 'they weren't expecting to die' and have left chaos behind them as a result. Wrong area in which to economise - you owe it to your children to get proper advice, from a solicitor. Now would be good. 

Keep_pedalling

As per previous replies, this is not something to do on the cheap especially for people in your situation.

You should also look at how your current marital status will effect your estates as far as IHT is concerned.

xylophone

Have you checked on the situation regarding your pension if you should predecease your partner?

getmore4less

It can get very messy as no transferable nil rate bands are available when not married. 

GreyCat

I used the Which Will service for my most recent will and found it good - but my circumstances are very straightforward and having made previous wills through solicitors I felt I knew what I was doing. The guidance notes are good, and you can ring up for advice if needed. You can use percentages not fixed sums.
But Which do say themselves that specialist advice is needed in some situations, which include jointly owned property, so that suggests WhichWills may not be the right thing for you.

Don’t assume this will be the only will you will ever make. You should expect to review it every few years to make sure it is still relevant to any changed circumstances. So focus on creating one that works for you now - and yes, you should use a solicitor. They should talk you through all the ‘what ifs’ that you may not have thought of.