Only around 4 in 10 people in the UK have a Will. Every year the Treasury gains millions of pounds from people who die intestate – that is without leaving a Will.
Why you should make a Will
Your Will tells everyone what should happen to your money, possessions and property after you die (all these things together are called your ‘estate’). If you don’t leave a Will, the law decides how your estate is passed on, in line with the law of intestacy – and this may not be in line with your wishes. With no Will in place it is likely to take longer to finalise an estate. During this time your beneficiaries may not be able to draw any money from your estate. It can lead to arguments and distress for your relatives.
The friendly experts at A.R.K. Lasting Powers & Wills are here to guide you through the steps involved with making a Will, sensitively and professionally. As a family-run service, customer care and our local community are extremely important to us. Based in Stevenage, we proudly support several charities in and around north Herts.
Writing a Single Will vs Mirror Wills
Mirror Wills are when couples have Wills that are almost identical – usually leaving everything to each other, or to any children if the couple die at the same time, and if there are no children then someone else can be named as beneficiary. A.R.K.’s Will writing service can help with both using single and mirror Wills.
Do You Have An Existing Will? Is It Full Of Confusing Jargon?
Did you make a Will years ago but can’t understand all of the legal language in order to work out if your wishes are the same?
We offer a free review service – we will read your existing Will and explain any terminology you are unsure about.
A.R.K. is a family-based business with customer service as our top priority. There will be nothing to pay to A. R. K. if you decide that your existing Will still says everything you want it to. Let our family help you and your loved ones.
The FIVE STEPS OF WRITING A WILL with A.R.K.
Step 1: Contact us by phone or email to make an appointment. These days we find that people often prefer the convenience of a telephone or video appointment, but if that wouldn’t work for you we will happily visit you at home to take your Will instructions. Daytime and evening appointments are available (remote appointments only in the evening). Your Will writing appointment will last for around one hour.
Step 2: At the appointment we’ll talk to you about your wishes, give you advice and take your instructions. We’ll also give advice regarding Inheritance Tax and help you establish if this may be an issue. You’ll need to provide photographic ID. Your peace of mind is important to us. Once we have your instructions for the content of your Will/s, you have a cancellation period of 14 days, during which you can change your mind about completing your Will/s. Once this has passed we will ask you to make payment in full but if you’d prefer us to get started on your documents you can pay sooner, and we can start work straightaway.
Step 3: After the 14 day cooling off period has passed (or earlier if you waive the right to this) we will prepare the first draft of your Will/s. We will post or email everything to you so you can check your document/s. If you wish to change anything at this stage we will happily make amendments for you. The friendly expert whom you met or spoke to at your initial Will writing appointment is available to answer any queries about the contents of your Will or the next step in the Will writing process.
Step 4: Once you have confirmed that you are happy with your draft Will/s we will prepare the final version/s and post it/them to you for signing. You may be charged for any amendments you request after we have prepared the final version/s of your Will/s.
We will provide full instructions regarding the attestation process, that is the signing and witnessing of your Will/s, and ask you to return it/them to us (or scan the signature page to us) so that we can check this has all been done correctly and that your Will/s is/are valid. If you will have difficulties finding people to witness your Wills, we will do our best to provide a witnessing service for you.
Step 5: Once we are satisfied that your Will/s have been correctly signed/dated and witnessed we will confirm this in writing. At this point we either arrange for safe storage of your Will/s or return them to you. Returning your Will/s is done via Royal Mail Signed For post so that you can store them safely at home. If you are storing your Will/s you should make sure your executors/reserve executors know where to find them.
If you would like us to arrange safe storage, we can do so. A small annual fee is payable.
If we are arranging storage your executors will be told how to obtain your Will/s when the time comes. They will then be responsible for administering your estate and obtaining Probate if this is necessary.
Read more:
Particular circumstances where a Will is vital
Interested in how we can help you with our will writing services? Contact us today for a no-obligation chat. Alternatively, please fill out the form below to find out how we can help: