You may be one of the 50+% of adults in the UK who have not made a Will.

You probably want to make a Will but keep putting it off…as people do!

Maybe you have made a Will already but do you know is it fit for purpose or if it is still valid?

I am starting to find the answer to this question “What triggers the decision to make a Will”

I regularly attend an excellent Business Networking organisation called 4 Networking (“4N”). I go to 4N breakfast meetings in Bath, Bristol, Chippenham, Cirencester and Trowbridge. At each meeting I get a chance to talk to the group and hopefully educate and inform my fellow networkers.

It has become clear to me that many of these well informed and experienced people are simply not aware of the problems in store for them if they do not have a Will in place, or do not have their existing Will reviewed regularly.

At every meeting I find people who have been blissfully unaware of serious and important issues that are relevant to their personal circumstances. Following my presentations, many at these 4N meetings have been ‘driven’ to immediate action and called on my services.

So, to me the answer is clearer now. When presented with the facts about both the problems in store for your loved ones and the inheritance laws that apply to everyday personal and family situations most people feel compelled to take action.

So here are 4 things too many people don’t know:

* If you have a young child and no Guardian appointed in a Will, Social Services will have responsibility for you child – NOT a god-parent and NOT a close relative

* If you are part of an unmarried couple your partner will inherit nothing unless it is allowed for in your Will

* Your child might inherit nothing at all if your parther remarries (sometimes called ‘second marriage syndrome’)

* If you get married your existing Will is invalid unless ‘made in contemplation’ of that marriage

So, plenty of sound reasons to sort out your Will now or have it reviewed if you have one already. Circumstances change regularly and your Will should reflect that.

If you would like a free no obligation Will review or if you want to arrange a visit please call Bill Ryan on FREEPHONE 0800 878 6565 or 07942 959599. Alternatively use the contact page and you will be called back shortly.

Marriage is a wonderful institution but is has one side-effect you may not have bargained for.

If you have a Will at the time get married you may be surprised to know that the Will is invalidated by law. There is one exception though and that is that the Will was made in contemplation of marriage. Put simply you must mention in the Will that you are getting married to your future spouse. This applies equally to Civil Partnerships.

So lots of people may think they have a perfectly good Will but in fact do not have a valid Will at all. This could lead to a whole raft of problems for those you care about most.

This is yet another reason for having your Will reviewed every few years because circumstances change and your Will should reflect that.

If you would like a free no obligation Will review or if you want to arrange a visit please call Bill Ryan on 01225 582582 or 07942 959599. Alternatively use the contact page and you will be called back shortly.

The home visit Will service is available in Berkshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset and Wiltshire.

Just two days before millionaire businessman Mark Butler died after a protracted battle with cancer, he made his will leaving everything to his wife Taryn. He was fortified by knowing that at least she and their two young children, would be well provided for.

He wanted them to stay in the family home in London, valued at £1.5 million and he also wanted Taryn to have his shares in a successful corporate hospitality business.

However, the will signing was witnessed by only one person and a result, he was declared to have died intestate. The law requires two people to witness the signing.

His 42-year-old wife was plunged into a legal nightmare. She has been given legal advice that the only way she can remain in the family home and give her children the upbringing she and her late husband planned is to sue her children, in effect, for their inheritance.

This is a classic example of how things can wrong so easily without professional help and guidance.

The full story was published on 27th May 2009 in the Telegraph