March is upon us and hopefully the worst of the winter weather should be over and we can look forward to the pleasures of Spring. Warmer weather – lighter evenings – the sound of lawnmowers – and indoors, maybe some decorating or de-cluttering.
When you Spring clean your home, do you also Spring clean your paperwork? Do you take the time to look at what you have and what plans you have made for the future of your loved ones? We have all seen the statistics saying that something in the order of 60% of the population have not made Wills – or have not looked at their Wills for many years – in some cases, over 20 years – but are you one of those? If you are, Spring is as good a time as any to do something about it.
Since you made your Will (if, of course, you have one at all!) – has anything in your life changed? Have you married, re-married or entered into a civil partnership? Did you have a partner who you are no longer with – or have you now got a new partner? Have you had children or perhaps grandchildren? Have any of the people mentioned in your Will as beneficiaries died – or maybe you do not now still want them to receive anything from your estate. Maybe the people you have appointed as Executors, Trustees or Guardians are no longer appropriate or available to deal with such matters for you.
And what about your financial circumstances? Are you worth more now than when you last looked at your Will? Property prices have risen considerably over the years – or you may of course have inherited money from family or friends. You may need specialist advice to plan for the future – Inheritance Tax and Care Fee Planning are two of the main topics which prompt people to review their documents.
So we have designated March as our ‘Spring clean your Will’ month. Make an appointment to come and see us – and bring your current documents with you and we can review matters for you. We offer a free 30 minute consultation, with no obligation.
At the same time we can discuss with you the merits of having Lasting Powers of Attorney if you haven’t already got these documents.
You don’t need to bring a mop and bucket with you – we will do all the hard work for you and your loved ones can reap the benefits in the future.
March 2016
