Wills in the UK - Why Do You Need a Will.

You do not have to write a Will in the UK. If you do not have a valid, signed and witnessed Will the UK government can decide who gets your money, your property and all of your personal effects. We suspect you might prefer to make this kind of decision for yourself?

If you die without a Will it is called dieing intestate.

Dieing intestate may certainly make the process of sorting your affairs more complicated and costly for the loved ones you have left behind. It may also mean that your estate (your assets) may not be disposed of as you would have wished. In some cases it could mean that all of your estate ends up going to the government.

Having a correctly authored and witnessed Will ensures your estate is distributed as you wish. It can also reduce the burden of Inheritance Tax, provide significant protection for your home from long term care costs and ensure that suitable guardianships and care arrangements are made for children, other dependants and pets.

Many people believe that things like Inheritance Tax will not affect them, believing Inheritance Tax is only a tax on the super rich, these same people are surprised and shocked to find out that when someone dies anything above the nil rated band of £300,000 is taxable at 40%, regardless of income. This money goes directly to the Inland Revenue.


One of our Wills may help you reduce or eliminate your Inheritance Tax burden. It will certainly make sure you decide how your assets and personal effects are disposed of.

For more details of the kind of things you need to consider as part of a more extensive estate planning process please see our Estate Planning Page.