Wills in-depth

The general responsibilities of people involved in a will are outlined on our wills page, but when those roles are not carried out correctly, it can mean your carefully crafted will is not worth the paper it’s written on.

Once you have spoken to your LR Estate Planning adviser and explained your wishes regarding your estate, they will then discuss with you the best way to implement these wishes and alert you to any pitfalls. The adviser will set out the most effective way for you to carry out your wishes, and make sure your estate has the best level of protection. Every individual’s estate is different and we all have different needs, so our advisers tailor their advice to your requirements to ensure your biggest concerns are heard but to also bring your attention to any scenarios or events you might not have considered. These scenarios can have an impact on your estate and we will make sure we advise you of the implications.

To make a will valid, it must be signed and dated by you to ensure that it is your most recent will. If your will is not kept up to date and your wishes change, it no longer reflects your new situation. Just because you have informed your executor or the beneficiaries of your estate of your new intentions, doesn’t give your executor the authority to do as you have stated. They need written notice in the form of a will. Legally, the executor must carry out what is stated in latest will, as this is the document that represents a statement of your intentions.

Think carefully about who you choose to witness the signing of your will. Often people think they can choose their spouse/partner or the spouses/partners of their beneficiaries or someone who is receiving a gift or legacy from the will, but this is incorrect — the witness/signatory needs to be a independent who isn’t linked to anyone who is benefitting from the will.