Wills: ten top facts

Our ten top wills facts

1. A will says how you wish your estate to be distributed when you die, and who should be in charge of the probate process (the executors). A will can also be used to appoint guardians of your children and express funeral directions.
2. The people who are responsible for carrying out the wishes expressed in the will are called the executors. The people who are given gifts under the will are called the beneficiaries.
3. By leaving a suitable will, the laws of intestacy will be avoided.
4. A will can be just a few lines long or it could run to dozens of pages.
5. It can be written on paper, a napkin or an eggshell, handwritten in crayon or printed in ink. But it must be written; a will cannot be spoken.
6. Anyone over 18 with the appropriate level of mental capacity can make a will. There are special rules for members of the armed forces.
7. There is no form to fill out or particular words which have to be used. However, there are certain other requirements. Without these requirements satisfied, a will may be wholly or partly invalid.
8. An executor can also be a beneficiary and vice versa.
9. A will comes into effect on the date of death, not before.
10. A will does not have to be written, approved or witnessed by a solicitor.