Wills

Plan for tomorrow, protect what matters today

Wills and Trusts are essential tools for safeguarding your assets and ensuring your wishes are respected. Whether you’re planning for children, pets, digital assets, or wealth distribution, acting early provides peace of mind and reduces stress for loved ones. At Amicus Law, our experienced solicitors offer tailored advice to help you optimise your estate, protect beneficiaries, choose the correct people to act after your death and preserve wealth for future generations. Avoid the pitfalls of low-cost options and choose expert support to navigate complex arrangements with confidence. Drafting a Will and considering trusts should be a priority – no matter your age or stage in life.

Expert estate planning you can Trust

Our team at Amicus Law simplifies the process of creating Wills and trusts, offering personalised support and legal expertise. We hold recognised accreditations including STEP, ensuring your estate planning is in safe hands.

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What happens when someone dies without a Will?

When someone dies without a will, this is called dying intestate. In such cases, the distribution of the deceased’s estate (their property, money and belongings) is handled according to the intestacy rules in the UK. These rules determine who inherits the estate, based on a set order of relatives and spouse (if there is one).

To help clarify this process, we have created an intestacy flowchart to show exactly what would happen and who would be entitled to inherit which can be downloaded for your convenience.

Download here

Making a Will

When making your Will there are various things to consider, including:

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Executors

Are responsible for administering your estate by establishing the extent of your wealth, discharging debts, paying funeral expenses, taxes etc. They also pay out any legacies and distribute the rest of your estate according to your Will. Executors must be over 18, but can be a beneficiary of your Will. If you intend to leave all or most of your estate to one beneficiary you may wish to appoint him/her as sole executor. Otherwise it is normal to appoint at least two executors. We can be appointed as your Executors and this may be helpful if your affairs are complicated or the Will may be contested.

Trustees

If your Will creates a trust (even if only to hold money for a child until they are 18) Trustees are responsible for dealing with it. It is usual to appoint the same people as Executors and Trustees, but they can be different.

Guardians

Have responsibility for children under 18, but the appointment normally only takes effect if both parents have died.

Funeral Arrangements

A Will can include funeral wishes and also indicate consent to organ transplant or use for medical research. However, as the Will may not be read for some time after your death, it is important to let family/friends know of any particular wishes and it is especially important to say so if you wish an unmarried partner to have responsibility for arranging the funeral. We can also put you in contact with undertakers with whom you can pre-arrange your funeral.

Legacies

There are mainly of two types:

Specific gifts such as jewellery, furniture or land. These are also normally free of Inheritance Tax unless a Will says otherwise and usually have priority over cash legacies.

Cash gifts to individuals or other beneficiaries such as charities. Unless a Will says otherwise, these legacies are normally free of Inheritance Tax. You can also direct that a particular cash legacy has priority (in case your estate is insufficient to pay all legacies in full), or for index linking so the value of the legacy keeps up with inflation.

Residuary Estate

This is what remains after your Executors have paid:

Debts and funeral expenses
Any Inheritance Tax or other taxes
Legacies and bequests
Legal and other costs of administering your estate

It is important to include a residuary gift in your Will and usual to include a substitute beneficiary in case your first choice dies before you. For instance, you may give your entire estate to your spouse/civil partner, but if he/she dies before you then to your children and/or grandchildren.

Trusts

Rather than making an outright gift, a trust can be used to hold cash or assets to prevent the beneficiary(ies) having direct access, but with provisions as to who is to benefit from the assets and how, including allowing occupation of a property. They can be useful in protecting assets against care fees or in second relationships to ensure assets pass back to your own children in the long term.

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Your legacy, our legal expertise

At Amicus Law, we guide you through every step of estate planning with compassion and clarity. Our expert team ensures your wishes are honoured and your assets protected. Choose Amicus Law for trusted advice that secures your future and supports your loved ones when it matters most.