🍂 Don’t Let Your Will Gather Dust This October

October brings darker evenings, falling leaves and that unmistakable feeling that the year is beginning to wind down.

It’s also a good time to think about something that can easily be put to the bottom of the to-do list: your Will.

Whether you’ve never made a Will or you already have one tucked safely away, circumstances can change considerably over the years. An old Will may no longer reflect the people, property or wishes that are important to you today.

🎃 When did you last look at your Will?

Making a Will isn’t necessarily a one-time job.

Life moves on. You might have moved house, welcomed children or grandchildren, married, divorced, started a new relationship, bought additional property or simply changed your mind about who you would like to benefit from your estate.

That’s why it’s sensible to review your Will periodically and particularly after a significant change in your circumstances.

🍁 What should you check?

When reviewing your Will, consider whether:

• Your chosen Executors are still the people you want to deal with your estate.

• Your Guardianship wishes are up to date if you have children under 18.

• The people named as your beneficiaries still reflect your wishes.

• Any specific gifts of money, property or possessions are still appropriate.

• You have bought, sold or changed ownership of any property.

• Your family circumstances have changed through a marriage, separation, divorce, new relationship, birth or death.

• Your Will still provides the level of protection you want for your partner, children or other beneficiaries.

  
  

Even if nothing needs changing, reviewing your Will can provide reassurance that it still does what you intended.

🏡 Your circumstances may have changed more than you realise

A Will written several years ago was based on your circumstances at that particular point in your life.

Your estate may now be worth more, you may own different assets, your children may have grown up, or grandchildren may have arrived.

For some families, a straightforward Will may still be perfectly suitable. For others, it may be worth considering whether Trust provisions could offer additional flexibility or protection.

The important thing is that your Will reflects your current circumstances and your current wishes.

👻 The scary part is having no Will at all

If you die without a valid Will, your estate is distributed according to the rules of intestacy.

Those rules decide who is entitled to inherit. They do not take into account informal promises or necessarily reflect what you would personally have wanted to happen.

A properly prepared Will allows you to make your wishes clear, appoint the people you trust to administer your estate and put appropriate arrangements in place for the people who matter to you.

🍂 Make October the month you get it sorted

With the end of the year approaching, October is the perfect opportunity to take your Will off the “I’ll do it later” list.

Whether you need to make your first Will, review an existing one or discuss whether your current arrangements still meet your needs, Newlife Wills can guide you through the process in a straightforward and friendly way.

Don’t let your Will gather dust. Make sure it still protects the people and things that matter most.

Newlife Wills Helping you plan today, to protect tomorrow.