To make a Will you need to the following:-

Your full name and address (it does not matter if you move house after making your Will, the address is the address at the time the Will was drawn up).

You need to have somebody or something to leave your estate to. This would normally be family but can be friends or a selected charity - or all of the above!

You need to appoint an Executor. This can be anybody you know, such as a member of your family, or somebody you do not know(!) such as a solicitor or your Bank. Remember that if you appoint a family member they are not obliged to do it and can pass it over (to, say, a solicitor) and if you appoint say a Bank, they can be expensive! It is not a good idea to appoint an executor who lives a very long way from you, by example a sister who lives in Timbuktu can not really help to deal with clearing your house in Watford! That said she might make a better job of it than your Bank who will just appoint, appoint, appoint! Your best choice is a trusted relative. If the person you appoint is not a professional and does not directly inherit under your Will you might like to consider leaving them something for doing it. (Although we are at pains to point out that we are specialist Will writers we are able to refer you to professionals whom you can appoint as executors if you can think of nobody suitable AND you can appoint more than one executor.)

You need to have your signature witnessed. You need to have somebody in mind to do this but their names do not need adding to the Will at this time it is written out. A sheet is sent out with all Wills telling you who you should and should not ask - and you would be amazed how many people get this wrong and invalidate their Wills!

You need some money. Not only to leave, but to pay me my modest fees for burning the midnight oil writing it all up!

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