Expat Financial
Planning

Estate planning
starts with a Will

start-your-will

Step 1

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Complete the easy to use online questionnaire

Step 2

British-Pound
Complete the payment process

Step 3

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Receive your professionally drafted will in the post

Why make a Will?

Most people understand and appreciate that making a will is crucial to avoiding probate problems and losing hard earned cash to the taxman in the event of a premature death - for expatriates this is imperative

Amazingly even rich and famous celebrities sometimes make catastrophic mistakes and are not immune from the consequences of failing to take care of this basic and fundamental document.

Michael Winner - Rik Mayall and even Princess Diana made mistakes - learn what happened.

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Michael
Winner
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Rik
Mayall
Princess-Diana-Dies-Without-A-Will
Princess
Diana

The problem traditionally for many people has been the need to sit with lawyers and be charged very high lawyer fees for such a will drafting service - in addition this is often very time consuming and very inconvenient.

For expatriates gaining access to such lawyers far from the UK only compounds these issues.

For this reason and especially for expats who have UK based assets we now provide our clients a service, in collaboration with the Wills Register, to dramatically simplify the process of effecting your will(s) and at a truly modest cost - just GBP 99 for a Single will and GBP 149 for a mirror will.

By using either our online will questionnaire or via our Paper Document pdf (available on request) you will have the ability to structure your will in the convenience of your own home or office and at a time that suits you.

We provide support notes during the process to assist the forms completion and we are of course always available to answer any questions or queries either by email or by telephone..

When using our online service, if for any reason you are unable to complete the questionnaire do not worry, all your input is saved ready for your return at a later time when you may complete the form - we issue a security key code in order that only you can access the secure servers.

With the questionnaire complete and your Will professionally drafted the hard copy will will be posted to you for signature and witnessing - once done your will becomes a legal document.

Intestacy - and why you want to avoid it

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Intestacy rules dictate what happens to your estate

When a person dies without leaving a valid will, their property (the estate) must be shared out according to certain rules. These are called the rules of intestacy. A person who dies without leaving a will is called an intestate person.

Only married or civil partners and some other close relatives can inherit under the rules of intestacy.

If someone makes a will but it is not legally valid, the rules of intestacy decide how the estate will be shared out, not the wishes expressed in the will.

Learn about UK Intestacy rules

Benefits of making a Will

Making a Will gives you the opportunity of ordering your affairs for after your death.

We all have a natural reluctance to contemplate our own death, but it is the one thing in life that is guaranteed (having to pay tax is arguably another guaranteed).

If you don’t leave a Will then the law will step in and a rigid set of rules, known as the Intestacy Rules, will dictate what happens to your property and your money.

By making a Will you can control how your property and affairs will be dealt with. It will ensure that your wishes are properly taken into consideration and it will make life much easier for those you leave behind.

There are lots of good practical reasons to make a Will, below are 11 such reasons

  • Providing financial security for your loved ones

    Providing financial security for loved ones

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    Ensuring those left behind are catered for is paramount in Will making

    A Will is the most effective way of ensuring that those closest to you are adequately provided for after you have gone.

    If you need to consider making financial provision for those you love learn more from our Life assurance page.

    A Will gives important peace of mind not only to you but also your nearest and dearest who will know that steps have been taken to provide them with the financial security they will require.

    This is particularly important for unmarried couples as their relationship can be questioned by the Intestacy Rules which apply when someone dies without leaving a valid Will.

    Co-habitees could have a burden of proof to have any rights in their deceased partner’s estate under the Intestacy Rules.

  • Making gifts of money and possessions

    Making gifts of money and possesions

    If you own family heirlooms, items of sentimental value, antique furniture, valuable jewellery or precious works of art you may want to make sure that they go to a particular member of the family or a valued friend who will appreciate and enjoy them.

    Giving instructions in a Will is the obvious way to do this. Usually the gift will be a “specific bequest” but gifts of this kind can be dealt with by way of a list of instructions written by you.

    A Will is also a perfect vehicle for making a gift of money. Making a Will is a good time to acknowledge your closest friends and family or remember your favourite good cause with a legacy.

  • Paying less inheritance tax

    Paying less inheritance tax

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    HMRC are duty bound to collect taxes due

    Careful Will drafting can have a significant impact upon the level of inheritance tax which will be paid (if any). It provides an opportunity to assess your position and consider what steps can be taken to minimise the inheritance tax liability.

    The small cost of making a Will can represent excellent value when compared to the tax savings that can be made.

    if you wish to consider any potential Inheritance Tax issue whilst setting up your will contact us in the first instance in order that we may collect all relevant information from you.

  • Appointing guardians for your children

    Appointing guardians for your children

    This is particularly important if you have young children and want to provide appropriate care for them after your death. It is, of course, advisable to consult the prospective guardians to make sure that they are willing to act before naming them.

  • Choosing your executors

    Choosing your executors

    A Will enables you to decide who will be responsible for administering your affairs after your death and who will be responsible for making sure your wishes are carried out.

    This means that you get to choose people who you know will be suitable and who are likely to best represent your wishes.

    Executors are responsible for administering the estate, including the distribution of personal effects and the contents of the house.

    It is of vital importance that the right people are chosen. If you do not make a Will then the law will choose for you.

    If you have no suitable family or friends to act as your executors, or if you think it might be useful to appoint someone from outside the family (to avoid the possibility of arguments) then you can appoint a solicitor to act as executor.

  • Avoiding inheritance disputes

    Avoiding inheritance disputes

    A full and proper consideration of how your dependants are going to be provided for after your death is essential if you wish to avoid an unpleasant (and costly) inheritance disputes arising once you have gone.

    Whilst in England and Wales we have testamentary freedom, the law does enable certain categories of applicants to make a claim against an estate if the deceased failed to make reasonable financial provision for them. This includes children, spouses and co-habitees.

    If reasonable financial provision is not made a dependant can challenge the distribution of the estate under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.

    Claims under the 1975 Act can be made whether or not there is a Will.

    However, a Will does enable the testator to record their wishes and offer an explanation for how the estate is to be divided. This can be taken into consideration if the Will is contested and it could even prevent a challenge altogether.

  • Creating a life interest

    Creating a life interest

    Life Interests in property and capital have been used in Wills and estate planning for generations.

    A Life Interest entitles the recipient to enjoy the use of the property or the income that the capital generates during their lifetime, and upon their death the asset will then pass to the beneficiary of your choosing.

    Life Interests are increasingly popular among people who have remarried. If you are in a second marriage, chances are that you will have children from the first who may not be happy with the idea of everything being left to your new partner.

    A Life Interest (particularly in the matrimonial home) is often a convenient way to provide a roof over the head of your spouse or partner and still protect the children’s inheritance in the long term, keeping everybody happy!

  • Specifying wishes for your funeral

    Specifying wishes for your funeral

    You might want to go out to the melodious strains of Vivaldi. Or perhaps you would prefer a bit of Elvis, The Beatles or The Clash. Whatever your preference, making a Will enables you to leave instructions on your final farewell.

    Whether it’s a quiet wake or a good old fashioned knees up at your local pub, this is your chance to have a say on your send off. If you have any special wishes about your burial or cremation then this is the place to do it.

    You can even specify in your Will that you want to donate your body to medical research.

  • Making arrangements for your pets

    Making pet arrangements

    You may be concerned about who will look after your pets after you have gone. One solution is to nominate someone in your Will who you can trust to make sensible decisions for your animals.

    You may wish to consider a modest legacy to help cover the extra costs involved in caring for the animal and meeting food and vets bills.

  • Avoiding the unintended consequences of intestacy

    Avoiding the unintended consequences of intestacy

    If you die without leaving a Will, your estate will be distributed in accordance with a rigid set of rules known as the “Intestacy Rules”.

    The Intestacy Rules dictate how a deceased’s property and money will be divided. In some situations this will broadly reflect the deceased’s general intentions.

    However, in certain circumstances the rules will produce an outcome that is at odds with what the deceased would have wanted and can lead to dependants suffering unintended hardship or family disputes arising.

    Learn more about UK Intestacy Rules

  • Have your will safely stored

    Safe Will storage

    In addition to professionally drafting your will(s) a "Safe Storage Facility" is also available to guarantees its safe keeping for a small annual modest cost of just GBP 22.95

    Start your UK Will now with our cost-effective online Will drafting service - it couldn't be simpler nor more cost-effective.