Are we sufficiently into the New Year yet for you to have broken those New Year’s resolutions? My resolutions normally relate to living a more healthy lifestyle but it is not long before I am tempted by the Barton Bugle’s restaurant review to venture out for some food and drink at a local hostelry.
Another favoured New Year resolution is just to be more organised. For you that could involve making or reviewing your Wills.
You may have made your Will before the financial downturn. The current economic climate means that the value of your assets may have diminished and this will impact on the amount of money, investments or property that you have to leave under your Will. Review your Will to consider whether any gifts you have made are still appropriate or whether they should be reduced or removed.
Since your Will was prepared there may have been changes in your personal circumstances or those of your family that mean your Will should be reviewed. There may have been changes in legislation for example the inheritance tax regulations which mean that other changes to your Will should be made.
At Dixon Stewart we are happy to meet with you for a free initial interview at your home if you prefer in order to make sure that your current Will is up to date or to discuss with you making a Will if you have not already done so.
One third of us die without leaving a valid Will. Dying without a Will can cause a problem for your family and it can mean that your estate will end up with the government. The government claims approximately £25 million each year from unclaimed estates. You may have said to yourself “there is no need to make a Will my money and home will pass where I want it to anyway.” That is not always the case. If your spouse dies without having made a Will you do not automatically receive all of his or her estate. The law may give you as the surviving spouse only a small part of it depending upon the value of the estate and the number of other family members who have survived.
Wills are an essential part of financial planning. You should consider whether to incorporate a trust within your Wills in order to preserve your estate for your children – often called your blood family.
The above are all matters that Dixon Stewart can help you with. So if one of your New Year resolutions was just to be more organised and you have been thinking about Wills for a little while call us today to make an appointment on 01425 279222 (Jayne Hodgson or Helen Stewart) or on 01425 621515 (Jenny Eley or Amanda Foster). The initial interview is free; we are friendly and experienced and there really is no obligation to have any work carried out after the initial meeting.
