Making a will – part two

When you visit a solicitor to make a will, she will need some information. I have listed below the most likely questions you will be asked, so get paper and pen (and optional cup of tea), and jot down the questions and your answers to each one. Then take it along when you make your will.

What is your full name and address?
What have you got to leave? See What have I got to leave? from this website.
Who do you want to care for your children if you die before they are 18?
Who are you leaving your estate to? List each person, their address and how much you wish to give them. This can be expressed as amounts or percentages.
Would you like to leave something to charity? List your favourite charities and how much you wish to give to each one, again often best expresse as percentages. (See Types of legacy).
Who do you want to administer your will (executors)? Give their names and addresses.
What do you want to happen to the legacies of beneficiaries who die before you?
In this day and age of fast family travel, what do you want to happen to your estate if you all die together? Grim, I know, but it happens and you need to be realistic.
What sort of funeral would you like?
Have you any other special wishes? For example, a Somerset farmer asked that his prize flock of sheep attend his funeral, and they did.

I recommend consulting a solicitor when making a will.

Wise's Whimsical Wills
A railway worker stated in his will that his estate " … would be considerably larger if it had not been for my marriage to the cleverest known legal daylight robber." Oh dear!