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A legacy is a gift of a fixed sum of money or some other object that you leave in your will. You can leave money, property, personal possessions, shares, insurance, or securities in public or private companies.

A residuary gift is a gift of a proportion of your estate (after all of the legacy gifts have been given away). A residuary beneficiary is someone who receives a residuary gift.

An executor is someone who you nominate to administer the wishes in your will. It is a big responsibility so you should choose at least two people who you trust completely. Many solicitors are willing to act as executors and they tend to be very experienced (and benefit from indemnity insurance). They will usually charge your estate some money to do this though.

When someone dies and their will is found the executors can make an application to get a Grant of Probate. The Grant of Probate is a court document that allows the executors to distribute the deceased’s estate in accordance with their wishes. In order to get the Grant of Probate issued the executors must have located and valued all of the assets of the deceased, made a declaration to the court, and paid any Inheritance Tax due. It may be necessary for the executors to take out a loan or sell some assets in the name of the deceased’s estate in order to have access to sufficient funds to do this. In many cases, executors take professional advice from accountants or solicitors in preparing and applying for a Grant of Process as it is a highly technical and specialized area.

If you die without a will (or if your will cannot be discovered) then your estate will be divided in accordance with the Rules of Intestacy. These set out what relatives (spouse, children, siblings, cousins) should inherit and in what proportions. If you have no living traceable relatives then your estate will go to the Crown.

Yes, you can make your will online. Writing your will, like most things in the world has gone digital. Our online system was created by lawyers and saves you time and money when making your will. Additionally, for peace of mind, your will is checked by our expert team who are available when you need help.

Our online system breaks down your will step by step. We ask you about yourself and your family, your assets and how you would like them to be divided, and the people with who you want to execute your will. If you have children under the age of 18 you can add guardians in your will. Appointing a guardian for your children in your will means that they will be looked after in case the worst happens. We also ask several optional questions about any funeral wishes you may have and any specific gifts or messages you would like to leave.

We believe that every adult in the country should sort their will - but they become more important when you have children, own sizable assets, or have large families.