Originally published: 11 February 2016 | Last updated: 31 July 2025
You need to spend twenty minutes writing your Will because this document will protect your family from emotional distress and stop them from facing legal disputes and financial losses. The following ten reasons explain why you need to create your Will right now: you can select inheritance recipients and pick your Executor and designate child guardians and defend your unmarried partner and establish trusts and donate to charities and decrease your inheritance tax obligations and stop family disagreements and create legally binding documents for your personal desires.
Why should you write a Will?
The majority of UK citizens understand they require a Will but more than 30 million people still lack this essential document. Some intend to get around to it eventually. Others take the attitude that they will not care because they will be gone. The two groups do not understand that 20 minutes of their time today would protect their family from experiencing emotional pain and money-draining court battles and ongoing family conflicts. The following list contains ten reasons which stem from my personal experience of more than fifteen years working with families who experienced the death of a family member without a Will.
1. You decide who gets what
The intestacy rules of England and Wales determine how your estate will distribute to heirs when you pass away without creating a Will. The legal system follows strict guidelines which might conflict with your personal preferences. Through a Will you gain full authority to decide which assets should go to your family members and friends and which should benefit charitable organizations. You can leave specific items to specific people, divide your estate by percentage, or make any combination that reflects your actual wishes.
2. You choose your own Executor
The Executor must collect all your property while they need to settle your outstanding debts and tax responsibilities before they can distribute your inheritance to your designated beneficiaries. If you write a Will, you choose someone you trust. A person who bears financial responsibility must also prove their trustworthiness while showing ability to manage family relations. The court process to appoint an administrator through administration will need multiple months to finish when you do not create a Will. The period blocked access to your accounts while preventing any mortgage payments and all business operations.
The selection of a professional Executor (solicitor or bank) should happen only when you need it most. Professional executors have faced multiple investigations which revealed them charging high fees that combine estate percentage charges with time-based billing which results in families losing thousands of pounds from their inherited assets.
3. You protect your unmarried partner
This is one of the most critical reasons to write a Will. The intestacy rules of England and Wales prevent unmarried partners from receiving any inheritance because they do not have legal rights to inherit property after their partner’s death. Your partner will receive nothing from your estate because distant family members will inherit everything when you die without creating a Will. Only a valid Will can ensure your partner is provided for.
4. You control the intestacy distribution
The intestacy rules establish a fixed system which determines how assets will distribute. Your surviving spouse receives certain assets, and the remainder is divided according to strict legal formulas. Your spouse will not receive all inheritance that comes to you and your money will pass to family members who lost their right to inherit. A Will overrides these default rules entirely.
5. You can reduce your inheritance tax liability
You can decrease your estate inheritance tax (IHT) obligations through proper estate planning based on your Will. The current IHT threshold is £325,000 (the nil-rate band), with an additional £175,000 residence nil-rate band if you leave your home to direct descendants. The government imposes a 40% tax on all estates which exceed these established threshold amounts. Strategic use of gifts, charitable bequests (which can reduce the rate to 36%), and trust provisions can significantly reduce your tax liability.
6. You can set up trusts for young beneficiaries
You can create a trust through your Will to protect the inheritance of children and grandchildren who remain under 18 years old until they become adults at your chosen age. Typically 18 or 25. Young beneficiaries will receive their inheritance at 18 when they do not have a Will to restrict their spending choices. A trust ensures the money is managed responsibly by trustees you have chosen.
7. You name a guardian for your children
The courts will select guardians to raise your children when both parents pass away without creating a guardian designation. A judge who has never encountered your family will base their decision on the limited information which they possess. They may choose someone you would never have selected. Your Will allows you to name the person you trust most, based on shared values, parenting style, and your knowledge of your family.
8. You can leave gifts to charity
A Will is the most effective way to leave a lasting charitable legacy. You have the option to give specific amounts or percentages of your estate or particular items to charities which you support. Charitable gifts in your Will are exempt from inheritance tax, and if you leave 10% or more of your net estate to charity, the IHT rate on the rest drops from 40% to 36%.
9. You prevent family disputes
Inheritance disputes destroy families. When there is no Will, relatives must agree on how to distribute the estate, and they rarely do. People who want sentimental items will start small arguments which then transform into expensive legal battles. A clear and legally valid Will provides precise guidance which courts use to follow your instructions.
10. It only takes 20 minutes
At LegalWills.co.uk, you can create a comprehensive, legally valid Will in approximately 20 minutes for just £49.95. The service guides you through every decision, ensures your Will is legally compliant, and includes one year of unlimited updates. There is simply no good reason to delay.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my estate if I die without a Will?
Your estate is distributed according to the intestacy rules of England and Wales. Your spouse receives a statutory legacy and personal possessions, with the remainder divided between your spouse and children. Unmarried partners inherit nothing.
Can I disinherit someone in my Will?
You have the freedom to distribute your estate as you wish but the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 allows certain dependants to claim from your estate if they believe you failed to provide them with adequate support.
How much does inheritance tax cost?
The government applies a 40% inheritance tax to all estate values which exceed the £325,000 nil-rate band threshold. The residence nil-rate band provides an extra £175,000 which applies when you transfer your home to your direct descendants. Married couples and civil partners can transfer unused allowances.
Do unmarried partners automatically inherit?
The United Kingdom provides no inheritance rights to unmarried partners who have not married their partner regardless of their relationship duration or their children together. Only a Will can protect an unmarried partner.
How often should I review my Will?
You need to update your Will after every significant life change which includes marriage and divorce and the arrival of new family members and the death of someone important and major changes in your financial situation. At minimum, review every 3: 5 years. With LegalWills.co.uk, updates during your subscription are included.
He has over 20 years of experience helping people to write their Will and other estate planning documents. He has been interviewed by many of the major news media outlets and has contributed to articles in most leading publications. He has also contributed to a number of financial planning books.
Throughout his career, Tim has written extensively on the subject of Will writing and estate planning.
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