Make a Will

A will has been defined as a "declaration of what a person wishes to be done with his or her property after death".

It is our advice that all adults possessing any heritable or moveable property should make a will. But why should you make a will? There can be one or a number of reasons.

• You can appoint executors to administer the winding up of your estate.
• You can determine who are to benefit from your estate in whole or in part
• You can make provision for children including a guardianship provision should they be under 16 years old when you die
• You can create a liferent of property
• You can make specific legacies of particular items of estate
• You can make pecuniary legacies
• You can leave instructions by way of informal writings
• You can give funeral instructions
• You can achieve tax planning objectives by means of e.g. a nil rate band discretionary trust will

Your personal circumstances will determine the best form of will for you. If you do not make a will, your estate is distributed according to the rules of intestate succession.

Your estate may then be distributed to distant relatives or unwanted individuals. In any event there is inevitably unnecessary delay and expense applying to the Sheriff Court to have someone appointed as executor for the purpose of winding up your estate.

©Currie Gilmour & Co.
41-43 Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh, EH9 1EU.
Telephone : 0131 229 2077
e-mail : enquiries@curriegilmour.co.uk