Will Making Checklist

There are a number of different pieces of information you should have to hand before making your Will.

This information relates mainly to the people you wish to leave bequests to, known as your beneficiaries, and to the people you wish to carry out your wishes as written in your Will, known as your Executors. Simply put you need to know their full names and their address at the time of making your will.

If you intend to leave some or even all of your estate to a charity you can greatly assist your Executors by finding the Charity's registered number. But please also give the full correct name and the main address for the charity. If you just give the registered number and get one digit wrong and the bequest may go to a completely different charity.

As well as the information Beneficiaries and Executors you will need two other people to complete the validation of your Will by acting as witnesses. It is very important to note your witnesses must not be a Beneficiary or even the spouse of a Beneficiary in your Will. We also recommend your witnesses should not be an executor, as this can sometimes cause problems.

If you choose to have your Will witnesses by a Solicitor who is also an executor this rule of thumb does not really apply, as it will be know that the Solicitor will be acting purely in professional matters with regard to your Will and your estate as they will not be set to gain from your legacy.