Clive Thomas inspired by a trip to Edinburgh, explains the importance of making a Will.

I was in Edinburgh last week, and my wife and I took one of the numerous  open-top bus tours. The tour guide said that, back in the day, it took 2 weeks by coach and horses to get to London – but you had to run the gauntlet of dangerous highwaymen on the journey.  So travellers would make a Will before they left – hence the saying “where there’s a Will there’s a way”. It’s the true origin of the phrase …but I liked the sentiment-making a Will for peace of mind.

This still holds true. New Year should mean finally making your Will! Wills are not just for the elderly. A Will ensures that your assets go to the right people and that your children are provided for.

If you find yourself in any of the following five situations you should make or update your will as soon as possible –

1. Buying a house – this is one of the biggest purchases of your life. You need to ensure your share goes to the right people.
2. Getting married – this causes any existing Will to become automatically invalid.
3. Starting a serious relationship – contrary to popular belief a common law marriage does not exist in law. So your common law partner will get nothing if you die without a Will.
4. Getting a divorce – the concern would be that your soon to be ex-partner will still benefit from your death if you have no Will.
5. Having children – you may choose a guardian to provide for your children in a Will.

So if you, or anyone you know is in any of these situations, the specialist lawyers in our Private Client team can help. They can prepare a Will for an agreed fixed price, which we will then store securely at no extra cost.