Wills Solicitor and Succession Planning

Wills and succession planning

Why should I draw up a Will?

Drawing up a Will means that you have a say over what happens to your assets when you die. Although it isn’t nice to think about, preparing a Will reduces stress and difficulties for your loved ones, and gives you peace of mind.

Making a Will gives you the opportunity to set out who you would like to leave your assets to upon death, and how your assets should be distributed. Creating a Will is the only way that you can ensure your wishes are granted, and it allows you to distribute your assets to the people that you want to receive them.

Without a Will in Scotland, Scots Law will dictate how your assets will be distributed and there is the potential for additional costs and uncertainty during what will already be a very difficult time for your loved ones.

If you already have a Will, it is always a good idea to review it every few years and particularly when your circumstances change, for example, if you get married or have a child.

Making a Will

What is involved in drafting a Will?

When creating a Will, you first need to consider who the Will Executor will be. Executors are the individuals that you appoint to deal with winding up your estate in the event of your death. You should know what your assets are, like property, investments, savings accounts and cash, and how you wish your assets to be divided.

You can also make specific gifts of sums of money, or particular possessions to individuals or charities within your Will. A Will can also mention wishes you may have when it comes to your own funeral arrangements. If you have children under the age of 16, it is also possible to list individuals in your Will of whom you would like to suggest as guardians to look after your children, for such an eventuality.

A Will has to be written in a specific format in order to be valid in Scotland. We take care of that for you, you just need to inform us of your wishes regarding your estate, and provide signatures where needed. The Will also needs to be signed in the presence of a witness. We can advise you on all of this during your scheduled Will appointment. Contact us today, to speak to our dedicated private client solicitors.

My Will appointment

How to prepare for my Will appointment

Contact our specialist private client solicitors at Watermans today to arrange a Will appointment. We are scheduling Will appointments both in our offices and via Zoom. If you choose to make your appointment via Zoom, we recommend that you do the video call somewhere where you can place the device on a table or other surface, ensuring all parties are visible.

We do not require you to prepare any documentation before the meeting, but do we suggest you consider the following prior to your appointment

• what are the addresses of the people you are likely to name in your Will?
• do you have children under the age of 16? Have you thought about who might be an appropriate guardian?
• failsafe clause in the event of a common calamity – this may be another family member or perhaps a charity or a number of charities.
• do you have animals? Think about who you might want to look after them.
• have you thought about your preferred funeral instructions?

Why Watermans?

Why should I choose Watermans to draw up my Will?

At Watermans, we have over thirty years of experience in the legal sector. We pride ourselves on giving a professional and confidential service to all our clients, by providing Straightforward legal advice.

Our dedicated private client solicitors are here to help you every step of the way. We know that writing up a Will can seem like a daunting task, but we explain everything to you in a way that is easy to understand. We take the hassle out of the legal stuff, so you don’t need to worry about it.

We offer the following prices for our Will writing services;

• Single Will – starting from £250 plus VAT
• Single Power of Attorney – : £325 plus VAT and Registration Dues