Writing a Will

When preparing or setting up a Will it’s important to review your personal and financial circumstances carefully. Our experienced Will writing solicitors can guide you through each step to make sure your wishes are clearly documented and legally valid.

Key things to consider include:

• Executors - who you trust to manage your estate and carry out your wishes.
• Beneficiaries - who you want to inherit, and any tax implications that may apply.
• Guardians - who will care for your children, and whether financial support should be included.
• Inheritance Tax - how gifts or assets can be structured to reduce potential tax liability.
• Assets - including jointly owned, foreign, or digital assets, and any previous gifts that could affect inheritance tax.

Our Will writing services help ensure every detail is handled correctly, giving you peace of mind that your estate is protected.

It is critical to ensure that a Will is validly executed.  One of the best ways to ensure this is to include a clause confirming how the Will was executed, known as an attestation clause.

There must always be two witnesses, although the witnesses cannot be a beneficiary or their spouse or civil partner at the time of execution.

A professional Will Writer will help you prepare and set up a valid Will that’s as future-proof as possible, allowing for unforeseen circumstances and potential changes. However, there is no substitute for regularly reviewing your Will to ensure it still meets your needs - particularly after major life events such as marriage, divorce, the birth of children or grandchildren, or a significant increase in assets or wealth.

If you create a new Will, your previous one should be formally revoked to avoid confusion or disputes. A Will can be revoked in several ways:

• Destruction - tearing or destroying the original document with the intention to revoke it.
• Marriage or Civil Partnership - entering into one automatically revokes an existing Will, unless it was made in contemplation of marriage.
• New Will or Codicil - a later Will usually includes a clause revoking earlier versions.

We can ensure old Wills are properly revoked when writing a Will to keep your estate instructions clear and legally valid. Speak to our Will writing solicitors in Essex today.

Most Wills can be drafted for a fixed cost, confirmed once we understand your personal circumstances. The cost of writing a Will may be higher if it includes additional features such as a trust for a vulnerable beneficiary or other complex arrangements.

Our Will writing solicitors will first meet with you to take instructions before preparing a draft for your approval. A second meeting is then arranged to sign the Will in the presence of two witnesses from Mullis & Peake, ensuring that all legal requirements are met.

In most cases, a Will can be completed within around four weeks, depending on your availability.