A guide to writing your Will: Easy Read
A guide to writing your Will
What is a Will?
A Will lets you choose who gets your money and the things you own after you die (when you don’t need them anymore).
A Will is written on paper with the help of a legal professional.
A legal professional is a person who is an expert and can give advice about the law Laws are the rules that everyone in the country has to follow. If you don't follow the rules you can get in trouble with the police. .
A Will is a legal piece of paper which means that people must carry out what you have asked for in the Will.
You must sign the Will in front of 2 people who must also sign the Will.
What kind of things can you leave in a Will?
You can leave anything you own in a Will.
For example, you can say who you want to have your:
- Money
- House
- Jewellery
- Furniture
- Books
- Car
- Bicycle
Why should you make a Will?
If you don’t make a Will, there are rules the government The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much tax people should pay and how things like the National Health Service (NHS) should work. needs to follow. The government The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much tax people should pay and how things like the National Health Service (NHS) should work. will decide who in your family will get your money and your things after you die.
This means that friends, supporters or carers may not get the things you want them to.
For example:
If you don’t make a Will, your friends or partner will not get anything.
Think about what you have before you make a Will. If you have a lot of money or things then it is sensible for you to make a Will.
If you do not have a lot of money or things, you may not need to make a Will.
Instead everything will go to your family.
Who can you include in your Will?
You can choose to leave some money or any of your things to any named person.
For example you could include:
- Family
- Friends
- Charities.
To make a Will:
- You must be 18 years old or over
- You must know what things belong to you
- You must understand what a Will is
- You must choose who should get the things you own when you die.
When you have decided who you want to leave your things to after you die you should ask a legal professional to write the Will for you.
A legal professional writing a Will for you will cost you money.
It is also important that if you make a Will, you look at it and update it if you have any life changes.
To find a legal professional you can use the following:
- The Law Society has a ‘Find a Solicitor’ helpline which you can call on 0207 320 5650 or visit online at: https://www.solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk.
- The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners is an organisation An organisation are a group of people who work together. for Wills and Trusts specialists (but not all members are solicitors). You can call them on 0203 752 3700 or visit their website A website is a page you can go to on the internet like Google or YouTube. at https://www.step.org.