Writing the wrong type of will can be just as bad as having no will.
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It's now pretty well known that basic mirror wills don't work efficiently for 21st century families, especially if you have children from a previous marriage or relationship or you're worried about selling your home to fund care home fees. If either of these things are a concern, then a basic will is not the right type for you.
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Due to advances in medical science and better knowledge about nutrition and exercise, we are living a lot longer than generations before us.
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As a result, the chances of having more than one significant relationship in your lifetime is very high indeed.
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Get the right advice before you start.
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Basic mirror wills are offered for free or cheap all over the internet and there's a reason for that - they simply do not work in the way that most people think they do and there's a very real danger that your children could be completely disinherited if you don't know what you're doing and write the wrong type of will. An ten minute online will service may give the impression that everything can be achieved without conversation and proper guidance,
it really can’t. Nothing replaces a good discussion where you can ask questions and get clarity on an outcome you'd be happy with. It's not just a paper process, it's a conversation with an experienced will writer about your own situation.
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Basic mirror wills were better suited for a generation who when they got married, stuck with each other through thick and thin - whether they did or didn't like each other!
That was how marriage tended to be in those days - for life.
There was no worry about having to sell their home to fund care home fees.
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Things are very different today: divorce rates are high and the number of people in long term care is rising at an alarming rate. Relationships are changing and so have wills.
Blended families are commonplace and many people find themselves disinherited because their mum or dad remarried or coupled up and then unknowingly wrote the wrong type of Will for that situation.
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Stuart Herd is one such person who lost his family inheritance because his father and step-mother unfortunately wrote basic mirror wills. People that have been disinherited in this unexpected way, never, ever get over the feelings of unfairness and disappointment - it literally affects them for the rest of their life both emotionally and financially.
You can read Stuart's story on This is Money
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If you'd like to find out more about the type of will that the majority of our clients are writing, read more about it here It'll help you understand your options in a clear, concise way. Then you can write a will that you feel great about - your Legal Love Letter.
We regularly receive a lot of lovely comments about how surprisingly different and upbeat their experience was compared to what they were expecting, considering the topic.
More importantly, our clients tell us that they enjoyed the conversation!
The fact that the majority of people who come to us are usually introduced via enthusiastic recommendation from our existing clients' relatives, friends and colleagues as well as a large number of accountants, mortgage brokers and financial advisers always feels like a huge compliment. In fact, it's those word-of-mouth referrals that have kept us in business for more than two decades.
The wonderful reactions and feedback we've had from everyone about our new name is absolutely magical - one client even said it sounded romantic! When you think about it, a will is very much an affair of the heart because we only give to those people and causes that we feel affection for don't we?
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If you're thinking about writing your Legal Love Letter by creating a will that works well for you and the people you care about, then get in touch. #WhoDoYouLove
