You should write a Will – there’s no time like now!

Did you know that our baby boomer generation is one of the wealthiest in history?  And as this generation ages and dies, very few of the beneficiaries of this great wealth have been making provision for their own affairs.

Recent YouGov research, commissioned by law firm Collyer Bristow, found that two-thirds of people under 50 who earn £50k or more per year do not have a Will. 

People gave all sorts of excuses…

They say they don’t have enough time…but we offer appointments at the time and location most convenient for you.

They say they don’t have enough assets…but it matters who gets those assets when you die.  If there’s no Will, then you have no say.

They say they are too young…but illness and death don’t discriminate based on age.

53% of those surveyed said that if they were faced with serious illness they would probably then make a Will.  Many people don’t get that opportunity.  They may experience a sudden accident or illness which means they lose mental capacity, and can never make their wishes known.  They might die suddenly, and never make their wishes known.

It’s even more shocking that 70% of people who have children under 18 do not have a Will.

Urban myth-busting:
Everything will pass to my partner when I die.
This will only happen if you are married or in a civil partnership with that person AND you have no children.

If a parent has no Will:

  1. Their assets will be divided between their spouse and all their children.
  2. If they are not married or in a civil partnership, the partner is entitled to nothing at all.
  3. If there is an estranged spouse (not yet divorced, for example), they will inherit.


Urban myth-busting:
Godparents are not the same as legal guardians.
Guardians must be appointed in a Will.

Where both parents die, and have no Will:

  1. The court will have to appoint the guardians for the children, as the parents have not specified who should take care of them;
  2. The court will appoint trustees to manage the inheritance for the children until they are 18, because the parents have not specified who the trustees should be.

Making a Will should not be put off.  We want to make it as straightforward as possible for you.  Fees start at £199 for a single simple will or £299 for a pair of simple mirror wills.

Call 01865 688309 or
email gareth@oxfordwillsandprobate.co.uk
to make an appointment that’s convenient for you at our office or at your home.