Making a Will
Advice

64% of Britons have failed to make a will – what could this mean for surviving family and friends?

Monika Volsing Monika Volsing
2 min read
This blog is more than 12 years old

Research released recently has disclosed that only 36% of Britons have made a will. Not surprisingly 83% are uncomfortable discussing their dying wishes, however many people do not realise what happens upon death of a person in the absence of a will.

Law Society president Nicholas Fluck commented:

“It is extremely concerning that a significant number of people have not written a will and made their final wishes clear. It is understandable that most of us are uncomfortable discussing our dying wishes, especially younger people, but you have nothing to lose and your loved ones can have everything to gain if you ensure your affairs are in order.”

When a person dies without a will they are known as dying intestate. If you watch the hit BBC show “Heir Hunters” you will know that there are strict rules as to who inherits when someone dies intestate. The rules govern which family members have priority in receiving the estate and if there are no family members (or none can be traced) then the estate will go to the crown.

Unfortunately the rules do not allow for any unmarried partners/friends or favourite charities to receive anything from the deceased’s estate which may cause unnecessary stress and suffering.

A correctly drafted will by professionals will ensure that your wishes are clear and your estate will be distributed as you see fit whilst complying with the legal obligations and with consideration given to both tax and family issues.

We would recommend that it is worth either making a will or revising a will in the event of any major family event (births, deaths, marriage, divorce etc) and when buying property; if you jointly own property, how you legally hold it may impact who inherits it upon your death.

For a free no obligation consultation on a Will, please contact Monika Volsing on 0113 320 5000.

Client feedback

As executors of my Mum’s estate we needed to apply for Probate. We met with Monika Volsing to discuss Probate and she talked us through the process and was very friendly and helpful. Any questions we had were always answered promptly. The whole process was very quick and we cannot fault anything.
Tracy
Great service the team at Winston’s solicitors are amazing at what they do! Thank again guys
Anonymous
Monika from Winstons has just updated our wills.Fast and efficient process and we appreciated her personal involvement explaining matters fully and with great clarity.
Anonymous
The service provided was excellent. My family have used your services on three occasions. In every case we have been totally satisfied.
David. B, West Yorkshire
Emily made the whole process hassle free. Everything was clearly explained in a friendly yet professional way
Mark
My wife and I instructed Momika Wolsing of Winstons Solicitors to draw up new Wills.I am please that we did so and am happy to provide a review in this context As a former lawyer myself, I have a critical eye.We found her efficient, knowledgeable. helpful and pleasant. She has an eye for detail and knows her business.She drew up the Wills in good time.Her fees were reasonable Her support staff are also pleasant and efficient.Altogether, from first to last, we received a 5 star service and I was happy to instruct Winstons as co-executors of the Wills.
Paul
I found Winstons to be a highly professional, efficient and compassionate firm of solicitors. The original estimate of fees for dealing with a complex probate matter including the sale of a property and dealing with inheritance tax proved to be very close to the final amount charged. At all stages throughout the process I was kept well informed of progress and was consulted whenever necessary. All correspondence was polite and pertinent, and my wishes were acted upon promptly. I would have no hesitation in recommending Winstons to others and would readily use their services myself in the future should the need arise.
Anonymous
Recently I have used the services of Winston Solicitors to deal with my wife's estate and to update my will. In both cases everything was explained in straightforward language and so was easy to understand. Things were dealt with promptly and I was always kept informed of progress. The friendly approach of members of the team made a difficult situation much easier to deal with. My family will certainly seek the services of Winstons when required in the future.
David
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