The simple answer is – to protect the people that you love.
Making a Will is the only way to ensure that your wishes are carried out after your death. If you do not make a valid Will, your property will pass under the laws of intestacy. This can have the following unintended consequences: –
- If you are living with someone without being married/in a civil partnership, they may not receive anything. ‘Common law marriage’ is not recognised.
- Your property may go to distant relatives.
- Your estate will take longer to sort out as a court order will be needed to ‘administer’ it.
- An intestacy usually causes distress and arguments amongst the people left behind.