Wills

Will Writing Service Devon

At the heart of our Will Writing Service is a commitment to your unique needs whether its guardianship arrangements or property distribution. Our aim is to give you peace of mind for now, your future and the legacy that you leave behind once you have passed away.

We are passionate about helping you.

By closely working with you, we are able to ensure your wishes are expressed as intended. Of course, you can write your own Will, however, consideration should be taken for when you have passed and your Executors have to deal with your estate. No one knows how your loved ones will react when you are not here, it can be an extemely emotional time for everyone. So it is important to ensure your wishes are clear, hence taking professional advice will help you to achieve this.

Is My Will Legally Binding?

Its important to consider how legally binding your Will is or needs to be. In some situations, during the preparation of your Will you may seek legal advice. This can be particularly beneficial when it comes to topics such as inheritance tax and ensuring your Will is legally binding and complies with the Solicitors Regulation Authority ‘SRA’. Legal advice can also be beneficial in complex family situations if you are in a civil partnership and this may not have the same protection.

Online Will Writing Service

Your Will guarantees that at your passing the succession is treated according to your wishes. With effective planning, your Will can take care of important loved one’s in tax-efficient ways. A Will writing service, which can be provided online as well as face-to-face, allows you to take advantage of years of experience. Whether it is a single Will for yourself, updating an existing Will, or arranging a Will on behalf of a disabled family member, with our expertise can prepare a Will to ensure you and your family are protected.

Why Choose Our Will Writing Service?

Unless you are a car mechanic with experience, it is unlikely for you to turn up at your local garage to have your car serviced and the owner gives you the tools for you to get on with it. That’s the same for writing your Will, unlike the car ensuring it’s roadworthy, a professionally prepared Will ensures that the right happen in your absence

Our Will writing service can cover exactly what you would like it to. From property arrangements whether it be in the UK or overseas property to bank accounts, we will be there to offer professional advice and assistance. Some of the main reasons to choose our Will writing services are:

We are flexible to meet your needs, either at your home, or online. We are well established with the company founded in 2019.
We have won many awards for our services.
We offer affordable pricing at a fixed rate and not by the hour. We receive many reviews each year from satisfied clients. We are easily found on Google. We wish to make it easy for you on a subject that most do not wish to talk about.

For all your needs regarding Will writing, please waste no time and be sure to get in touch. We have been providing Will writing services both online and in person for many years now, so no matter your requirements when searching for Will Writers, we will be there to take care of everything.

Regardless of the personal circumstances or what you would like to have included in your Will, we will be able to help. Please contact us today – 01392 540 996 to arrange a FREE consultation.

What now?

When all’s said and done, we’re in an enviable position compared to our ancestors. Unlike them, we can leave our hard-earned possessions to those we truly love.

It’s down to you to make the first step……

Making a Will

When it comes to making a Will, there are many factors to take into consideration. For example, a simple Will could simply outline your funeral plans and what main assets will go your immediate family, where as more in-depth Wills may look further into assets and funeral plans etc. You can tailor your Will to cover as much as you would like.

Some examples of what you could consider when writing your Will are:

Parental responsibility of your children, ‘guardianship’
Who will look after your pets
All-important assets (ie. property, vehicles, jewellery, personal items etc.)
You could also mention any charities or donations you would like to make

Once your Will has been properly drafted, then you will be able to check the documents. Here, you will be able to make any amendments, check the spelling and names are correct and of course your wishes.

Updating Your Will

Once you have used our services, our aim is to contact you on an annual basis to firstly find out that you and your family are fit and healthy. Secondly to understand if there have been any major changes in your estate. Reasons for this could be changing and removing former partners, adding new assets or choosing to opt into charity donations.

Contact Simon Hall – Will Writing Services

For all your needs and requirements for Will writing and associated services, look no further, we can help.

So, no matter if you wish to have a FREE consultation either in your home, or online, we are there to cover your needs.

Feel free to contact us to find out more.

Will Writing Service FAQs

What questions will I be asked when writing a Will?

When writing your Will, you could be asked various questions including, your funeral arrangements, who will get your properties and assets, what will happen to your debts, who will look after non-adult children and pets. When choosing our Will writing service, we will be happy to offer advice and answer any questions.

Do I need two witnesses to make a Will?

Yes, a Will is not legally valid unless it is signed by both a testator (you) and two independent witnesses. These witnesses should not be family or included in your Will. In many cases we act as the independent witesses.

What are the 3 tests for mental capacity to make a Will?

The testator must be able to understand three points when writing a Will. These include: the nature and effect of making a Will, the claims of those who might expect to benefit from the Will and the extent of his or her estate.

What cannot be included in a Will?

You shouldn’t include any wishes to future generations, joint accounts, life insurance, business partnership and anything you do not completely own. Upon choosing us for your Will writing, we would be happy to outline more of what you can and cannot include.

A brief history of Wills

Solon the Greek, the first evidence of a Will - Simon Hall Will Writing Service — Solon the Greek, the first evidence of a Will

The idea of a basic Will seems straightforward. It gives you the legal right to pass on your property and possessions to anyone you like. Perhaps surprisingly, though, people haven’t always enjoyed this freedom.

Invention of the Will is often credited to a statesman called Solon, who lived in Ancient Greece around 600 years before the birth of Christ. Solon’s law lets people leave all the assets held at the time of death to a chosen individual and to protect someone’s interests after death, instead of everything going automatically to family members.

There were a few restrictions, though. You had to be a citizen of Athens, it didn’t apply to women, slaves, foreigners, or anyone who was adopted. Finally, if you had sons – too bad. They’d automatically inherit your estate anyway.

On the other hand, if you had daughters, you had the choice of bequeathing your assets to men other than family members. The catch was that these men were then obliged to marry their daughters, thus ensuring that wealth always stayed in the family.

Roman wills

The concept of Wills was further developed by the Romans, who were also keen to keep things in the family. If you omitted a child from your Will without giving a good reason, it could be considered a dereliction of duty and you will simply be ignored.

One way around this was to leave a pittance to your offspring, as this was proof that you truly were thinking straight at the time you made your Will.

Early Roman Wills were spoken aloud in the presence of seven witnesses. However, this oral method relied on witnesses accurately remembering what they’d heard years later, and so was eventually replaced by written Wills.

Rules of Intestacy

King Henry VIII - Simon Hall Will Writing Service — King Henry VIII

In England, a major development of Wills concerned property rights. In 1540, during the reign of King Henry VIII, an Act of Parliament called the Statute of Wills enabled individuals to decide who would inherit their land.

Previously, land could only be passed to surviving relatives. If there were none, it would automatically go to the crown. Furthermore, landowners were understandably unhappy with this state of affairs, and the Statute of Wills was seen as a compromise with the king.

The Statute of Wills was superseded by the Wills Act of 1837. This unified previous legislation governing land and property with rules concerned with personal possessions.

Statute of Wills

Many of the rules introduced in the 1837 Act remain valid today. However, a later Act of Parliament was introduced to govern what happens to people who die without a Will, i.e. intestate. The Administration of Estates Act was introduced in 1925 – less than a quarter of a century after the end of the Victorian era. It’s fair to say that public morals then were very different from what they are today.

It’s probably not too surprising that the Rules of Intestacy outlined in the Act aren’t favourable towards unmarried people who live together. Even now if you die without a Will your estate will go to your blood relatives.

The Rules of Intestacy do recognise civil partnerships as well as marriages. But if the person you share your life with is neither spouse nor civil partner, they’ll receive nothing.

The Intestacy Rules