Oakwood Solicitors has broken previous records by filling its allocated appointment slots for the Free Wills Month (FWM) campaign in 2 days.
The overwhelming demand saw the initial 20 available spaces booked in just two days, leading to a swift extension.
Free wills month Applications close
Oakwood Solicitors has closed its Free Wills Month application process after a period of exceptional demand.
The firm’s original allocation of 20 appointment slots was snapped up by eager participants in under 48 hours.
Responding quickly to the surge, the Oakwood team immediately increased its capacity by 50%, adding 10 additional appointments.
Despite this expansion, all 30 appointments were fully booked within a remarkable three days.
This swift closure underscores the massive interest in the Free Wills Month program and highlights the community’s commitment to the cause.
Campaign-Wide Success
The extraordinary demand was not limited to Oakwood Solicitors. Across the board, the entire Free Wills Month (FWM) campaign has seen unprecedented engagement.
On October 8th, the FWM organisation confirmed the closure of all applications, noting that every participating entity had reached its maximum capacity. This overwhelming response marks this as the busiest Future Workforce Mentoring campaign to date.
What does a Will allow you to do?
A Will provides peace of mind and clarity, allowing you to:
- Choose your Executors: The people who will carry out your wishes.
- Appoint Guardians: Decide who will look after your children if they are under 18 at the time of your death.
- Detail Funeral Wishes: Provide instructions for your funeral.
- Deal with Assets: Legally distribute monetary gifts, specific items, shares in a business, and property.
- Provide for Pets: Arrange for the rehoming and care of your beloved animals, including leaving monetary gifts for their support.
- Include Trusts: Utilise trusts for various reasons, such as providing for minors or managing assets.
- Maximise Tax Allowances: Ensure your Will makes full use of all Inheritance Tax allowances.
- Decide Residuary Beneficiaries: Determine who receives the rest of your assets (your estate).
Writing a Will can appear a daunting and emotional task however by making a Will, it provides you with peace of mind that your wishes will be carried out and ensures that your loved ones are protected and provided for whatever may happen in the future.
Sadly, we often see the effects that dying without a Will has on those left behind.
Key Life Scenarios That Require a Will Review:
If you do not already have a Will, then we ask that you look at the following scenarios, which may apply to your personal circumstances and ask yourself whether now the time is to think about making a Will:
- Marriage/Civil Partnership:
Marriage or forming a Civil Partnership automatically invalidates an existing Will. However, a Will can be made in expectation of a planned marriage or civil partnership, and it will remain valid after the event. Once married or in a civil partnership, it is advisable to review or make new Wills.
If you choose not to marry or form a civil partnership, your partner will not automatically inherit anything from your estate if you die without a Will.
To ensure your partner is provided for, it is essential to make a Will. This is also necessary to provide for other family members, such as your partner’s children (stepchildren) who are part of your family unit, as they would also not automatically benefit without a Will.
A Will is crucial for ensuring your house, often your most valuable asset, is distributed according to your wishes.
If you solely own property, a Will allows you to provide for someone (a third party) to live there for a specific period after your death.
If you own property as joint tenants (common with a spouse/partner), the property automatically passes to the survivor, regardless of your Will. To change this, you must sever the joint tenancy so you can leave your share in your Will.
If you own property as tenants in common, a Will lets you specifically leave your share while allowing you to protect the surviving co-owner if desired.
A Will allows you to appoint guardians to care for your children, making your wishes clear and avoiding potential court-decisions or family disputes regarding their welfare.
You can use a trust within your Will to provide for your children financially while they are minors. You can specify the age at which they will gain full access to their inheritance.
Your circumstances (or those of a grandparent) may require specialist trusts to offer your children future financial protection.
It’s important to consider and specifically include any children from a previous marriage or relationship in your Will to ensure their interests and inheritance are protected.
A relationship breakdown (marriage, civil partnership, or long-term relationship) is a critical time to update your Will.
If you die without updating your Will, your ex-partner will still be entitled to any share of your estate you previously left them. Furthermore, if you enter a new relationship, it is beneficial to review and update your Will to ensure it reflects your current wishes and circumstances.
If you die before your divorce or civil partnership dissolution is finalised, you are still legally married/partnered, and your spouse/partner is entitled to inherit under the intestacy rules or as a beneficiary in your existing Will. It is therefore crucial to review or make a new Will during the proceedings.
After the finalisation of the divorce/dissolution, your existing Will remains valid, but your ex-spouse/partner is automatically barred from receiving any inheritance under it. However, to avoid any confusion or uncertainty, it is always advisable to make a new Will at this time.
Why choose Oakwood Solicitors?
Oakwood Solicitors offers a personal, compassionate, and bespoke Will-writing service to ensure your final wishes for property and loved ones are respected.
As an SRA-regulated firm, we uphold high standards of customer service, giving you peace of mind. Offering a free initial consultation to assess your needs, provide fixed and transparent costs, and assign you a dedicated advisor for support and updates from start to finish.
We recommend reviewing your Will every three to five years or whenever your circumstances change. We will send you reminders in future years should you need to modify your Will.
Once your Will has been signed, we can store your Original Will free of charge in our deed store department and provide you with a copy to keep with your personal documents. We will ensure the process is as stress-free and effortless as possible.
Further information:
Oakwood Solicitors: Wills.
Oakwood Solicitors Fees – Wills and Probate.
Our Fees Explained.
WHAT TO DO NEXT:
If you are looking for support with your will, get in touch today for a no-obligation consultation.
Choose one of the methods on the right-hand side of this page or call us on 0113 323 2391 to find out how we can help you.
Charlotte Bandawe is our Head of Wills and Probate department, leading a team of three other colleagues.
Charlotte is also a member of The Association of Lifetime Lawyers. View her Association For …
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