Write a Will – New Year’s Resolution

Make a Will before another year slips by

Niche Professional Will writing Services extends to all areas of central London Including KT1 and the Kingston area which is one of London’s more prestigious postcodes.

New Year’s resolutions are apparently made to be broken but writing your Will shouldn’t be one of them. Once your Will is written it could last a live time which is more than can be said of the other New Year’s resolutions which can easily fritter out such as attending the gym.

By why write a Will in the first place? Well you probably recently demonstrated how much you care about your loved ones by venturing out in the relentless cold and queuing for presents. A Will shares similar caring traits. It is about putting your affairs in order so that your loved ones are looked after and not over burdened by the practicalities associated with death. And, unlike a present this appreciation of your loved ones will NOT be forgotten.

But I don’t own a lot and I’ll probably write a Will later in life when it warrants it! This is a popular and fraught misconception. Almost everyone would benefit from Writing a Will to protect themselves and their loved ones irrespective of their life stage. For instance, life insurance provides protection, and if you have been sensible you will have taken out a policy to cover your first mortgage. The house or flat you have purchased is unlikely to be your last and inevitably you will require a larger sum assured at the point of purchasing your new property. Same principle applies for Wills – the key is to be protected at all times to reflect your current position. Furthermore updating a Will is very affordable and regrettably no one can predict when you might die.

But it will be so much hassle! Our Legal Consultants will eradicate all the paperwork issues, answer any questions that you have, and explain all the terminology. Furthermore our Legal Consultants provide this Will service in the Kingston-Upon-Thames area and throughout Central London, in fact the Will service is available anywhere inside the M25.

Took book a visit please call T: 020 7993 2044 or simply complete our free quote form.

Making a Will

writeawill Making a Will

Making a Will in London and the M25 area.

Well done you have taken the first important step in Making a Will.

A Will puts you in control of you’re the major finance and welfare decisions that will affect your family when you pass away.

That’s right the Will allows you to channel the distribution of your assets to who you want in a tax efficient way. It could also specify the preferred guardianship for your children and to state your dying wishes.

Without a Will the Government will apply blanket rules which are unlikely to suit.

So don’t delay call us now to see how you can get your family fully protected.

For more information on Making a Will please call us on 020 7993 2044.


 

writing a will Making a Will

Please click here for our site Privacy Policy
Please click here for our site Terms and Conditions
Please click here for our Site Map

Free Legal Consultation

Why would you attempt to write a Will on your own? When you consider booking a holiday or taking out a mortgage most people will use an agent or broker for advice.

And, unlike two weeks away or a two year fixed rate where doing it yourself might prove to be a short term disappointment, drafting a Will is your final say for eternity.

At Niche Wills in London we passionately drive home the importance of taking advice when writing a Will. We do not view legal consultation as merely a prudent step but also a means to identify areas that would benefit you and your estate, such as Inheritance Tax planning and holding of assets within a trust.

The legal consultation also can be a forum to ask questions and to gauge the reactions of your partner to ensure that all sides are happy with what is recorded. We find at Niche Wills that this is a consultation is often the source of much debate, which is healthy, and we strive to help the couples confront difficult subjects such as: ‘who are the preferred guardians for their children’, and assist them in drawing a collective conclusion.

Writing a Will is a serious matter and should be done in a relaxed environment outside of daily routine. Our Legal Consultants recognise this and will happily visit at a time that is convenient such as the evenings, weekends or in your work lunch break. What’s more Niche Wills offer a free legal consultation if you live or work in the London area.

Niche Wills in London | Will Writers In London
Members of The Society of Will Writers
www.nichewills.co.uk

Will Instructions to Executors must be fair

There is a romantic notion that Writing a Will gives you the power to make your Beneficiaries and Executors jump-through hoops in the process of disbursing assets.

The thought that you will ultimately pass on a gift provided that a series of qualifying events take place is indeed wide of the mark.

The Courts take a dim view of such elaborate measures. With movies such as 80s classic Brewster’s Millions which required Richard Prior to loose $30m in 30 days in order to inherit $300m truly confined to Hollywood when it comes to actual Will writing.

Even what might seem like a genuine request such as scatter my ashes in the place where I honeymooned is unlikely to be adhered to if it is miles away from where your Executors live. A Will cannot physically propel your Executors into action above and beyond the call of duty if they do not have the inclination to oblige. So as professional Will Writers we ask that you are realistic with your wishes when you are drafting a Will. An Executor is someone you trust to disburse your legacy but be fair on them. Would you want them to feel low as they cannot carry out your far fetched Will instructions?

Our Legal Consultants are taught to ask the testators to think twice when they are writing their Wills. Have a reality check. Put yourself in the Executor’s shoes. The disbursement of a Last Will and Testimony is often hard enough, particularly as often the responsibility is bestowed upon someone who is grieving and unfamiliar with the Probate process.

If you are thinking of Writing a Will and would like more on this subject or other practical advice, please visit www.nichewills.co.uk

For more information on our Will writing Services, please complete the enquiry form on the right hand side or contact our London office on 020 7993 2044.

Niche Wills in London | Will Writers in London
Members of The Society of Will Writers

Landlords Should Make A Will

Writing a Will is often associated with leaving sentimental objects to a doting nephews or nieces, however the buy-to-let boom in the Noughties witnessed a huge growth in would-be landlords including here in our city, London.

As a London Will Writer I always believe tangible assets help our customers realise the effectiveness of drafting a Will as the commodity is that much more apparent and visual.

Buy-to-lets do have tax implications. If the property is sold capital gains tax applies and if it is kept beyond death then there are likely to be Inheritance Tax implications for your Estate. This level of tax is often further exasperated in London due the typically higher property values. 

The asset itself is of course illiquid in the sense that it is not an investment that can be realised quickly. The house selling process typically takes a few months and this can create major complications when trying to dismantle an Estate evenly to next of kin through Probate. It is also a catch twenty-two as money might be needed immediately to meet the IHT bill yet a fire-sale will mean a reduction in the yield from the sale, enough to make the dearly departed turn in their grave.

A Will can simplify the process as the beneficiary can be identified. For professional landlords this could mean identifying certain properties go to their named children.

It is not always possible to have foresight as death can strike without prior warning. However, it may be worth considering gifting some of the portfolio to children. Lifetime gifts that happen seven years prior to death are usually exempt from inheritance tax.

We at Niche Wills in London, ensure that our Legal Consultants make Wills that take into account portfolios of all sizes and impart their advice on tax mitigation.

To find out more please contact us on:

Niche Wills, Will Writers in London
T: 020 7993 2044

W: www.nichewills.co.uk

Divorced? Then Make A Will!

As London Will Writers we get a clear insight into the unpredictability of people’s feelings towards one and other. For instance, we often sense a greater bond within Will makers that are Divorced than those in current relationships. Sure there are those that truly despise their ex’s and what never consider them when writing a Will, however on the flip side there are those who have seemingly become best of friends. We also witness the unbalanced marital- split where one party appears to have moved on to a much greater extent than the other.

 

Making a Will is empowering and adaptable to legislate for all of these scenarios. If you read on you will formulate your own views on how a writing a Will can reflect your own wishes.

 

Well why is a Will necessary? Many people draft a Will to avoid family squabbles and second guessing in the event of their death. For the families of divorcees this is more likely as there will often be greater magnitude of grey areas which could ultimately culminate into distasteful court proceedings and legal challenges.   

 

Why can it be so messy? Well divorcees are statistically more likely to divorce again. This could mean they have nurtured their own and indeed other siblings along the path of life. How can someone else determine the emotional and material importance you place on each and everyone of them? Logic might suggest that the true-bloodline is favoured but do you discount the other children you have helped raise? And, if so to what extent? The truth is only you can decide the answer to this question and the only place for legal reference is within a Will. A Will is clever for it can specify specific items like a piano to go to the most musical child, it also can divide monetary value by amount or percentage. A skilled Will Writer would be able to took through these and variety of other options to meet your needs when you write a Will.

 

A Will also is the most appropriate medium to specify your dying wishes, which may be to invite or exclude your ex-partner from the funeral. Suffice to say the request must be practical and contain a means of the Executors to contact them. Importantly for the Executors they can justify to sceptical relatives, and indeed the ex-partner, this is what you wanted.

 

You see Making a Will is not only a voice from beyond this world is also shouts what you always wanted to say but were either: too afraid; concerned what others might think; or simply never had the appropriate opportunity to say. If you are Divorced don’t think twice write a Will today as it not only benefits you but the loved ones you leave behind.

 

What is the next step, well Professional Will Writers specialise in making Wills and offer the most favourable terms when compared with traditional solicitors.

For more informtaion on our Will writing services please contact Niche Wills  on 020 7993 2077.

 

 

I bet you don’t have a Will!

Calling all You 30 to 40 Year Old –

Most people will have the impression that drafting a will is reserved for the elderly, however the reality is the impact of not Writing a Will can be felt at an earlier stage in life when the legal system fails to recognise the importance of a person to you, such as someone who cohabits with you.

The media is awash with the down turn in the economy and no doubt the Credit Crunch has impacted on you in some form or another. Adjustments may have been made on our spending habits such as taking much longer to assess the bargains in the shops or trawling the net for the best credit card deals.

In truth many of us are looking at the fractions such as 0.1% AER in savings for the here and now but without a Will wrapped around these extra benefits you could be unwittingly accumulating money to pass onto the Tax Man in the event of your death.

Take it from me it never occurred to me how vital Wills were in tax planning until I saw the lack of provision destroy a family close to me.

We have all seen the cheesy adverts with the old couple being happy and reassured but things have moved on. We are now aware of every single piece of glib news with instant updates filtering to us via dedicated TV channels, social networking sites, texts and the web. Inevitably these centre on the ‘Stars’ that may for instance have fallen off the rails, died young or contracted a terminal disease. Even putting aside fatal accidents and illnesses we cannot escape the plight that we will all die someday. Sorry to be so blunt but everyone thinks it’s never going to be them let alone someone in their family.

As you are reading this you are probably thinking ‘true’, but I do not think I’m alone in not having a Will, and sadly you’d be right with a staggering 67% of people who are eligible not having the provision in place, however on this occasion it is wise to be in the minority.

Now we got that out of the way, please let me advise you about a trend which is taking the nation by storm. Due to the economic climate more and more people have now been forced to plan for the future, and in doing so have taken note of their assets. The demand for life insurance and mortgage payment protection insurance is steadily rising which is understandable as we all feel more vulnerable. But it in other areas where priorities are things seem to be distorted. For example, insuring a boiler or taking out a 2 year guarantee on a TV are often pushed higher up the list in place of a Will which should deserve much higher prestige as it can determine the distribution of assets to save thousands of pounds in inheritance tax.

Why would you choose to ignore something which has such a big impact in friends and families future? The good news is Niche Wills are seeing more and more clients between the ages of 30 to 40 finally realising the need for immediate action which is very encouraging. At Niche Wills we have a tailor made Will writing service for this important age bracket as we believe this is the critical point in someone’s life for Will provision.

This is the perfect time to implement your long term protection strategy and we are able to give full guidance on all aspects of mitigating the financial traumas for your beloved should the worst happen.

Anyway, enough of the sermon! If you are still unsure whether a Will is for you or not below are some poignant points to recap why Writing a Will is in your best interests:

Anyone who fails to make a will cannot control who will inherit their property after death. In these circumstances, the assets will be distributed according to law, the law of intestacy, which is extremely likely to be against the person’s personal wishes. In extreme cases, the entire estate may fall to ‘the Crown’ (Government) instead of the people the client actually wishes to benefit.

By Draft a will the client determines precisely who inherits the property. Importantly, the client can decide who will handle their affairs after death and who will act as guardian for any dependant children who may be left without a surviving parent.

A Will can also be used to express a person’s preferences for burial or cremation and for donating organs or their entire body for medical purposes. Additionally, Making a Will provides an opportunity to reduce inheritance Tax (IHT) liability which is vital where there are meaningful assets.

Still undecided? Read on:

1 – The Government could inherit leaving your family to struggle. 

2 – Your children’s step parent could benefit more from your death than them.

3 – Without a designated beneficiary your prize jewellery and medals could be unwanted and given away or sold.

4 – You may wish to preserve a life by donating a vital organ

5 – You cause a family dispute as they second guess your wishes

6 - Your loved one’s bank account may be frozen until Probate is granted

7 - You want to protect the family home and keep it away from nursing home fees

8 – It makes sense to spent a relative low amount of money now rather than have your loved ones paying substantial legal bills at the emotional time of your death

9 - By Writing a Will in trust your disabled sibling’s inheritance will still be entitled to their benefits

10 - Putting off Writing a Will is unwise as illness can affect everyone including the young

As you can see writing a simple will helps to protect you in the long terms and every effort should be made to plan for you future now rather then later.

Niche Will writing service has been formed to ensure perceptive 30 – 40s  can write a will knowing that its being administered by a fully qualified wills expert.