Published on: 16th October 2023

Preparing for your appointment

To get the maximum benefit from your appointment, we advise that you give your Estate Planning requirements some thought prior to your appointment and ideally make a list of your questions and concerns so that you don't forget or miss anything out.

This will also help your consultant to tailor their advice to your specific needs and ensure that all your questions and concerns are answered. Below are other things you may wish to consider:

Do you currently have a Will, or have you previously written one?

It would be extremely beneficial for your consultant to have knowledge of any existing Will you may have in place. It can give an insight of any adjustments or amendments that may need to be made to the contents of your Will, or to the way you own your home and, depending on how old your Will is, highlight the fact that any trusts contained within the Will might not still represent best advice.

Who do you wish to appoint as executors of your Will? 

Any Will must have at least one executor, although our best advice is that at least two executors should be nominated. You can have them act either together or have one main executor and one replacement. It is always best to have an idea of who you would wish to nominate. Please keep in mind that beneficiaries can also be executors.

Do you have children under the age of 18? If yes, who would you wish to look after them if you were to pass away? 

Any child under the age of 18 would become a ward of court if they are orphaned and no provision is made in the Will of their parent as to who their legal guardian should be. Give this some thought and discuss it with the people you are considering appointing as guardians prior to your appointment.

Is there someone currently living in your home that you would like to continue living there even after you have passed away? 

You can grant someone the right to continue living in your home for a fixed period of time after you die, even if you wish for the property to ultimately pass to someone entirely different later on. You can allow the person living in your home ample time to find a place of their own without being pressured to do so by impatient beneficiaries.

Do you know about inheritance tax or have any concerns regarding inheritance tax?

Have a think about what assets you own and what their total value is. This valuation can just be an approximate value and does not need to be an exact figure. It may help you to list your assets prior to your consultant’s visit, but they will not need to see any of your bank statements. Things to consider are the value of your family home, any investment properties, savings & investments etc.

If you would like to speak with one of our Consultants to discuss any of the issues raised in this article or any other Estate Planning topic please telephone 01732 868190 or click here.

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If you wish to give instructions or require general information about our Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, or Trusts then we will carry out a telephone or Zoom appointment.

However, if you wish to give instructions to one of our Consultants and you feel that you can only do this at a Face to Face meeting then we are offering, at our Consultant’s discretion, a limited number of Face to Face appointments in most of the areas we normally cover. To see the areas we normally cover please click here.

To arrange an appointment please telephone 01732 868190 or click here.

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