Why have a will?

Making a will must still be a confusing subject for people, because two thirds of people still do not have a will. Here is Accentor's thoughts on why you should get a will:

1. When you die the first thing that your family will want to do is to sort everything out. By not creating a will you are leaving a very untidy situation for your family to sort out. Nobody will be in charge and nobody will be able to dispose of your assets or belongings if you do not have a will. By making a will you will put someone in charge who has the authority to sort everything out.
2. By not making a will you will leave it to chance who will get what. You can not assume that the right people will get everything. A will should create the immediate beneficiaries, but also reserves in case they die too. If you are married, do not assume your spouse will inherit everything – they will only inherit a set amount laid out in law – the rest may go to your children or parents.
3. You can appoint guardians. Guardians look after your children until they are 18. Without a will the local authority may take your children into care until they know who is the best person to look after them.
4. Wills are not expensive. Compared to the issues and financial cost of sorting things out with no will, there should be no reason not to get one.
5. A will is for people you leave behind, not yourself! If you care about your family then make a will because it gives them the ability to sort things out with less stress and cost.
6. The newspapers are full of stories from people who have lost everything because their partner did not have a will. Don't become a news story!
7. You can say how you want to be buried or disposed of. This can avoid your family arguing over what they thought you would want. a news story yourself.
8. A will can save tax. A properly written will can help you organise your financial affairs in a better way.