A Will is a legal document setting out how a person wishes their assets to be distributed after their death. Without a Will, your estate will be distributed according to legal rules, which could mean it might not end up going to the persons you would want it to. 

Making a Will means that you can control who receives your assets. You can specify how you want your estate to be divided, whether to family members, friends, or charities. You can also leave specific possessions to named persons.

If you have younger children, you may wish to name someone to be their guardian, so you have the comfort of knowing you have made provision for their care and upbringing. You can even make provisions for your pets!

The benefit of making a Will with a solicitor is that they can advise you of your options based on your own personal and financial circumstances, and ensure that your Will accurately reflects what you want to happen. There might be ways a solicitor can advise you to frame your Will to best protect some of your assets, such as from being used towards paying care home fees, or to mitigate tax liability, which you would not be aware of without taking expert advice.

There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to making a Will. But by taking proper legal advice, you have the peace of mind of knowing your options, and that your Will does properly reflects your wishes.