Wills & Trusts
How do Wills Work?
A Will is a legal document that sets out what you would wish to happen upon your death.
Within your Will you will need to appoint Executors, these are the people you entrust to deal with all of your affairs after you die.
Within your Will you can list specific items that you wish to gift to people, you can also name guardians to care for your children should you die before they reach 18 years of age.
As well making provision for people, you can also exclude certain people from your Will.
Dying without a Will is called intestacy, this means that the law decides how your assets will be distributed rather than you deciding who you would like to leave things to.
A Will is a must have document, dividing your assets in the way you would like, to the people you want to benefit.There are limitless reasons why someone should make a Will. Some draw up a Will for the reason of making provisions for partners (if not married/ civil partners) and some like to make provisions for former spouses/ partners. Other reasons for making a Will are that it allows you to choose the guardian for any children under 18 rather than allowing children to go through government systems before being reunited with family. Another reason why people choose to make a Will is the simple reason that it can be more tax efficient.
Many families also have extended family trees in respect of step-parents and children. Individuals making a Will sometimes feel that they do not wish step-children to benefit from their estate and choose to exclude them. This must be concluded in writing before it can become legally binding and as such, you need a professionally qualified team who can draw up a concrete Will to ensure your Estate and Assets are divided up how you want them to be.
Another crucial reason for a Will is that many older people wish to prepare for their financial legacy by creating trusts, which enable their funds to be handled in a tax efficient manner. In your Will you may appoint Trustees who will manage these trusts upon your passing to ensure they are not mishandled or destroyed.
How do Trusts Work?
More than 95% of people having their Wills drafted by LCS decide to add different types of Trust due to the countless benefits and protection that they provide. We assist our clients in considering which Trusts are best suited for them.
In making a Will containing a Trust, you (the Settlor), are making sure that the people you wish to inherit from your estate (the Beneficiaries), receive what you have intended.
To be able to do that, you need to appoint Trustees. These could be family members, close friends or anyone you trust. The Trustees will be responsible for managing any Trust funds and distributing them to your Beneficiaries as and when stipulated or at their discretion until the Trust comes to an end.