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Families today are often ‘composite’ families with children from different relationships. Many parents are also partners rather than being either married or in a civil partnership. Also, the rate of divorce is much higher than in the past and, with people living longer and remaining healthy and active for longer, the incidence of late re-marriage has increased. All of these circumstances can present a threat to a child’s inheritance. A parent whose children are not the children of their spouse or partner may be concerned that if they die first, leaving everything to their spouse/partner, that their children may not receive their fair inheritance, particularly if their spouse/partner remarries or has a further relationship.
Even where a couple are parents to all of the children, a remarriage by the survivor will automatically revoke any Will they have previously written. A new Will needs to be arranged to take into account the changed circumstances which may not favour children of the deceased partner in the same way. It is understandable that greater concerns arise than in the past about protecting the inheritance of children against circumstances that might threaten it.
There are provisions you can add to your Will that help. For example, most couples own their property jointly. This means the survivor then owns the whole property regardless of what is in your Will. It is easy to own your property as individual shares instead. Then you could add provisions that allow the survivor to live in the family home; usually for their lifetime, even to sell it and buy an alternative home, but thereafter the share of the first to die goes to the children regardless of what happens in the meantime. Various safeguards for the survivor can be included so they are protected. We are experienced in these matters and can advise you of the options.
This is one example of how we can give you peace of mind in regard to your children’s inheritance. Such special provisions do add a little to the cost. Nevertheless, our fees are extremely competitive, and the additional outlay is very reasonable.
It may be that your situation is quite straightforward. Even so, whether your circumstances are simple or require careful consideration, we can provide you with our expert assistance. Our experience over nearly thirty years means you can expect good, clear advice and you can arrange an initial telephone consultation free of charge. We provide reliable will writing services at reasonable fees, which offer excellent value for money. All fees will be clear and transparent before we undertake any work.