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Wills and marriage
Before my wife and I got married we had very basic wills that basically left everything to each other.
It's my understanding that now we've married the wills are obsolete. We've been told that we don't need them if we intend to leave everthing to each other.
Is this correct? Also we're expecting a child next year - does this affect what we require?
(For info, our house is jointly owned, although I put in the deposit and our solicitor wrote up the documentation to say that I would get the deposit back and then the rest would get split - this was pre-marriage).
It's my understanding that now we've married the wills are obsolete. We've been told that we don't need them if we intend to leave everthing to each other.
Is this correct? Also we're expecting a child next year - does this affect what we require?
(For info, our house is jointly owned, although I put in the deposit and our solicitor wrote up the documentation to say that I would get the deposit back and then the rest would get split - this was pre-marriage).
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ALWAYS have a will.
If one of you dies without a will, even if you intend to leave everything to each other, other family members could make a claim on the estate.
If they won it could mean the house may need to be sold to get them their money.
Not having a will could also mean it may take a long time to sort overything it.
http://www.wisewills.co.uk/intestate.htm
MAKE A WILL.
If one of you dies without a will, even if you intend to leave everything to each other, other family members could make a claim on the estate.
If they won it could mean the house may need to be sold to get them their money.
Not having a will could also mean it may take a long time to sort overything it.
http://www.wisewills.co.uk/intestate.htm
MAKE A WILL.
-- answer removed --
I used to write wills for a living and I'm happy to back up one of AB's resident solicitors, Danny, on this one.
Unless the wills were drawn up 'in contemplation of marriage', they were automatically revoked by your marriage.
Even if you weren't expecting a child, I'd still question the wisdom of assuming that, when one of you dies, everything automatically transfers to the surviving partner. When faced with a couple who asked me to prepare wills transferring everything to the surviving partner, my first question was always "OK, so what happens if you both die in the same car crash?".
Go to a solicitor and outline your situation and requirements. If he doesn't start asking lots of questions such as "Have you considered the situation where . . ?" or "What if x, y and z happened . . .?", walk out of his office and find a solicitor who actually knows how to do his job.
Chris
Unless the wills were drawn up 'in contemplation of marriage', they were automatically revoked by your marriage.
Even if you weren't expecting a child, I'd still question the wisdom of assuming that, when one of you dies, everything automatically transfers to the surviving partner. When faced with a couple who asked me to prepare wills transferring everything to the surviving partner, my first question was always "OK, so what happens if you both die in the same car crash?".
Go to a solicitor and outline your situation and requirements. If he doesn't start asking lots of questions such as "Have you considered the situation where . . ?" or "What if x, y and z happened . . .?", walk out of his office and find a solicitor who actually knows how to do his job.
Chris
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