Wills

Distributing your estate

Making a Will is the only way of ensuring that after you pass away your estate is distributed as you wish it to be. If you pass without creating a Will, your estate fall under the rules of Intestacy.

In addition, if you have young children it is essential that you make a Will to set out who should look after your children if the unthinkable happens before they are 18 and you are no longer around to look after them.

When preparing your Will, we will discuss all of the options available to you. By the end of the process, we will provide you with a Will that is specifically tailored to your particular needs and requirements.

Options available for all

Our team of specialist Will writing lawyers have experience in drafting a whole range of Wills, including:

• A single Will for an individual.
• Mirror Wills, where a couple make Wills that are broadly similar, for example, leaving the majority of the estate to the surviving partner and, thereafter, to their children in equal shares.
• Wills for so-called “blended” families, where there is a combination of provision for a new partner, but also protected provision for children from a previous relationship.
• Wills containing Trusts, either creating fixed interests for specified beneficiaries, or being discretionary for a group of potential beneficiaries.
• Complex Wills for people with complicated asset and financial circumstances, such as overseas domicile or tax residence; offshore assets; assets eligible for Business or Agricultural Property Relief; eligibility for the reduced rate of Inheritance Tax (due to the value of charitable gifts contained in the Will) or the inclusion of sophisticated structures, such as ‘options to purchase’.

If you need a Will prepared in a hurry, for example, because you are going travelling or about to undergo an operation and wish to put your arrangements in place first, then please contact us abour our Will writing services and we will do all we can to assist you.

Common Will Writing Questions

If you're thinking of creating a will but still have unanswered questions, our legal team have put together frequently asked will writing questions to help put your mind at ease.

Can I use my Will to take care of my pet?

Absolutely, for legal purposes your pets are viewed as your possessions and therefore you can leave your pets to named individuals or a charity. If you want to leave money to go towards your pet’s care and maintenance then this is best dealt with through a Trust arrangement and is something you can speak to us about at KJ Smith Solicitors.

What happens to a Will when a civil partnership is converted to a marriage?

Nothing, the marriage is deemed to have existed at the point when the civil partnership was formed. Any Wills made after the civil partnership will still be valid despite the subsequent marriage.

Read more commonly asked will writing questions here.

A team you can trust

At K J Smith Solicitors, our Estate Planning & Wealth Management team are members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). This is an internationally recognised organisation whose members consist of accountants and lawyers and who are specially qualified to advise on and assist with Estate Planning & Wealth Management matters.

Our Estate Planning & Wealth Management team are also members of Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE), a specialist group of lawyers who are qualified to advise more elderly clients on matters of particular concern to them.

We offer a free initial 15 minute telephone appointment to give you the opportunity to speak to us about our Will writing services, before deciding if you wish to proceed in instructing us to act on your behalf.

Please contact K J Smith Solicitors on 01491 630000 (Henley on Thames), 0118 418 1000 (Reading Head Office), 0118 418 1200 (Reading Central), 01256 584000 (Basingstoke), 01483 370100 (Guildford), 01494 629000 (Beaconsfield), 01344 513000 (Ascot), (01635 785 100) Newbury or email info@kjsmith.co.uk.

We also serve a wide range of other areas including Abingdon, Bracknell, Gerrards Cross, Maidenhead, Marlow, Oxford, Slough, Wokingham, and High Wycombe.