It may surprise the majority of people, that having a Will in place for when you pass on, is only the start of a series of rather complex legal events which needs to be finalised after a funeral takes place. For the most part, people feel prepared for all eventualities once the Will has been drawn up but in reality there is more that one needs to take into account other than just the allocation of your possessions as part of your last wishes. To complicate matters more, no more than 30% of UK citizens actually have prepared their Will. This can lead to the possibility that the majority of families who experience the passing of a loved one, will end up have much more on their plate than they originally anticipated. Dealing with grief and loss is one of the most distressing experience a person could have. Add to that, the multitude of decisions and choices which need to be made once a person has passed, and its almost certainly too much to bear.
Lodge Brothers Probate Guildford attorneys are able to assist families with issues of this kind, which arise, in situations where a person has failed to prepare. And just as one might think that drawing up a Will is something that they need professional help with, so too is the process of probate which is the next of the complex details that families are faced with.
Should a person pass away before they have had the opportunity to prepare their Will, their estate is automatically placed “intestate” meaning that the courts become responsible for assessing who is officially your next of kin and allocate your possessions accordingly. What this can mean is that your possessions are not allocated in the way in which you would have preferred them to be allocated. For example, a person who is on their second marriage to a person on their first marriage, may have children from that first marriage. The husband or wife of the second marriage may be deemed as your next in line heir, however you may wish for your children to received all of your inheritance and for nothing to be left to your second spouse. For whatever reasons you deem to be necessary, you have the right to do as you wish with your estate. If you should die without a Will in place, the courts may find that your second spouse receives everything. Nothing may be wrong with this at face value, however what if your second spouse re-marries and then all of your possessions go to the new spouse, by-passing your children entirely. Not through malice but rather through a series of events, your children may be left without financial security as a result.
The importance of reaching out Lodge Brothers Probate Ashford professionals to assist you with such decisions, which can have far-reaching effects on your family’s future, can never, be over-emphasised. Provide for your loved ones in the way that you wish and chose Lodge Brothers Legal attorneys to administer your estate.
Contact Lodge Brothers Probate Feltham and Probate Woking for all your legal requirements.
Lodge Brothers Probate Weybridge Legal Services is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
