A will is a document that sets out what will happen to a person’s possessions when they die.  It is always advisable for individuals to have a will prepared particularly people with family responsibilities such those who are married or have children.  To be sure that a person’s dependents are taken care of and that assets are passed on to the right people or organisations a will needs to be prepared and where necessary updated.

A person wishing to prepare a will has a number of options.  In most circumstances the best choice is to appoint a solicitor to do the work.  Appointing a solicitor is beneficial as they are able to provide professional advice on the relevant legal issues and ensure that the will is fully valid without any possible complications.  Using a solicitor needn’t be expensive and shouldn’t take too much time.

If a person doesn’t want to use a solicitor they can try to produce the will themselves.  For a simple will forms can be bought from most stationers or a ‘write your own will’ service on the internet could be used.  Some charities also offer to produce wills for free.

Whatever way the will is created it must include the names of the executors.  The wills executors are people chosen to ensure that the intentions expressed in the will are carried out.  This executor can be a member of the person’s family, a friend or in many cases will be a solicitor.

For the will to become an official legal document it must be signed and dated in the presence of two witnesses.  There is no requirement for the witnesses to see the contents of the will, they only need to have witnessed the signature.   The witnesses need to write their name and address and should sign and date their signatures.

There is often confusion as to when a person should be thinking about preparing a will.  Generally a will should be made as soon as an individual takes on family responsibilities such as getting married or having children.  People who have begun to acquire significant assets should also have a will prepared.

As circumstances change a person should review their will on a regular basis.  If a new will is made at a later date all previous wills become null and void.  This is also the case in events of marriage and divorce.