Wills Solicitors
Having a valid, up-to-date Will in place ensures that, when the time comes, your estate is passed on smoothly to your choice of beneficiaries. It can reduce the risk of disputes arising between family members and ensure that your estate is dealt with in the most efficient way possible. It can also be a comfort to those left behind to know exactly what your wishes were.
At JNP Legal, our expert Wills solicitors have many years of experience and can guide you through the Will-making process. We will work with you to ensure you have a Will that accurately reflects what you want to happen, and safeguards your assets for the next generation.
We are accredited by the Law Society’s Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme, which recognises the high levels of expertise we offer in the provision of Wills advice and risk management.
Contact our Wills solicitors in Merthyr Tydfil, Cardiff, Nelson and Pontyclun
If you need help or advice, our Wills solicitors are here to assist. We are a regional law firm with local Will solicitors at our offices in Merthyr Tydfil, Pontyclun, Cardiff and Nelson.
Please email us at law@jnplegal.org, or call us on the number specific to the office closest to you. Alternatively, fill out our Get in Touch form and we will respond to you quickly.
Our Wills services
- Drafting a Will
- Estate planning advice
- Amending a Will
- Mirror Wills
Our Wills services
Drafting a Will
It is essential to have a bespoke Will, tailored to your unique circumstances. Inheritance law is complex, and ambiguities or errors in Wills can be devastating to families when an estate is not passed on in the way intended. As well as meaning that beneficiaries can lose out on their inheritance, it can also cause family rifts and, should there be legal action, an estate could be drained in the payment of legal costs.
We can work with you to determine the best way to pass on your estate to your loved ones, ensuring they are supported for the future in the manner you desire.
Estate planning advice
Family structures can be complex, and our estate planning advice will ensure that your assets are safeguarded, so that they will remain in your family.
For example, if you have a blended family, there is a risk of ‘sideways disinheritance.’ This is when an estate is left to a new spouse who subsequently leaves everything to children they already have. This means that the children of the first person to die will inherit nothing.
There are ways to avoid this happening while still protecting the new spouse, including by allowing them to have a life interest in assets, such as a shared home.
We will go through your personal circumstances with you and discuss how best to structure your estate to protect it from loss and to pass it on in the safest and most tax-efficient way.
Amending a Will
It is recommended that a Will be reviewed every three to five years or in the event of a major life event, such as divorce, the birth of a child or grandchild, or the death of someone mentioned in a Will, such as an executor or beneficiary.
If you marry, your Will automatically becomes invalid, unless it was made in contemplation of that marriage.
We can work with you to review your Will and discuss whether a new Will is needed. A Will cannot be amended once it has been signed, but where only minor changes are needed, a codicil can be made. This is an additional legal document that needs to be kept with the Will.
It is often preferable to make a new Will, however, both for clarity and to avoid the risk of the codicil going astray. We can advise you on the best course of action and draft the new document promptly.
Mirror Wills
It is sometimes the case that both parties in a couple have similar wishes for their estate. For example, they may want to leave everything to each other, then when the second of them dies, have everything pass to their children. In this case, they will usually make mirror Wills.
Both individuals will sign their own Will, with the documents having similar terms. This is often to leave everything to each other in the first instance, then to their children when the second of them dies.
With mirror Wills, either person can choose to make a new Will at any time. This is often preferable as the circumstances of the second to die could change substantially over time, including in the size of their estate and the beneficiaries.
Frequently asked questions about Wills
A Will should be drafted specifically for your circumstances. Online Wills services tend to be very general and do not adequately consider the details. Mistakes and ambiguities often result, and these can cause protracted legal disputes. The number of contentious probate cases reaching the courts has increased by 56% since 2019.
The best way of ensuring your Will is solid and deals clearly with your assets and beneficiaries in the way that you want is to instruct an expert Wills solicitor to prepare the document.
If you die without making a Will, your estate will pass in accordance with the Rules of Intestacy. These set out who inherits, in a strict order of preference. For example, if you leave a spouse and children, then your spouse will inherit the first £322,000 of the net estate plus all of your personal possessions. The remainder will be split in half, with your spouse taking one half and your children sharing the other half. This means your children could inherit less than you had intended.
Co-habiting partners and stepchildren do not inherit anything under the rules. When someone does not leave a Will, there is an increased risk of family disagreements, as those left behind may have differing opinions on what you wanted to happen.
Will writing is not a lengthy process. We will discuss your circumstances and wishes, then explain your options to you, answering your questions and advising you on the best way to pass on your estate.
Once we have your instructions, we can draft the Will and make arrangements with you to sign it, which needs to be done in a particular way, in front of witnesses.
An executor is responsible for winding up an estate after a death. This includes valuing the estate, calculating and paying Inheritance Tax, liquidating or transferring assets, clearing and selling property where applicable, preparing detailed estate accounts, and distributing the estate.
It is usual for an executor to instruct a solicitor to deal with this on their behalf, as the role is generally time-consuming and can be complex.
A beneficiary can also be an executor, and this is quite common. For example, a spouse or child is often appointed to administer the estate, and they are also named as a beneficiary.
There are several circumstances in which a Will can be challenged or contested, including:
- The deceased did not have sufficient mental capacity to make a Will
- They were unduly influenced into signing the Will or placed under duress to do so
- They did not know or approve the contents of the Will
- The Will was incorrectly signed or witnessed
- The Will or signature is fraudulent or forged
- Someone whom the deceased supported or who was a close family member, such as a spouse or child, was not provided for in the Will
The best way of avoiding a challenge is to ensure a Will is drafted by expert solicitors for Will writing, who will take steps to ensure the document is sound.
Why choose JNP Legal’s Wills solicitors
Our Will writing solicitors can work with you to ensure that your Will provides for your loved ones in the way that you want. With many years of experience and a high level of expertise, we deal with all types of Wills, including for those with complex family structures and high value estates.
We hold Lexcel accreditations for our outstanding practice management, reflecting our commitment to our clients’ comfort and experience, as well as accreditation in Wills and Inheritance.
We pride ourselves on the excellent service standards and client care provided by our Wills lawyers, and will do all we can to assist you. If you are looking for local solicitors for Wills in the South Wales area, we will be pleased to hear from you.
Contact our Wills solicitors in Merthyr Tydfil, Cardiff, Nelson and Pontyclun
If you need to make, review or update a Will, contact our Will-making solicitors today and we will be happy to help. We are a regional law firm with offices at Merthyr Tydfil, Pontyclun, Cardiff and Nelson.
Please email us at law@jnplegal.org, or call us on the number specific to the office closest to you. Alternatively, fill out our Get in Touch form and we will respond to you quickly.