Free Wills Month for Over 55s - October 2021
If you’re wondering which month solicitors and online will-writing services do free wills, you’re in luck, it’s just around the corner!
Free wills month takes place in October every year (in addition to March), so if you’ve been thinking of writing a will to protect your assets and your loved ones’ future and you’re over the age of 55, there couldn’t be a better time.
You can either get a solicitor to help you write your will, or you can use an online service like that offered by us as Quick Wills where you can write it in your own time and in the comfort of your own home.
Doing it yourself is the quickest option, and once it’s complete, our trained Wills experts will review it to ensure it is legally-binding, so there won’t be any issues when the time comes.
Free Wills month - When can you get a free Will?
Free Wills month occurs twice a year for people who are over 55; every March and October.
During these two months, you can write a basic will for free or you can have your existing Will updated for free of charge.
Remember, if you already have a Will, it’s important to keep it up-to-date when something in your life changes, such as your requests, funeral preferences, a birth or marriage/remarriage. If it is not up-to-date, it becomes null and void, so your loved ones will not be able to carry out your personal requests and you will die intestate.
However, if something significant occurs, such as a death, birth or divorce, you will probably need to write a brand-new one, and doing so during free Wills month means you can do so without having to pay a penny.
Why does free Wills month exist?
The main reasons why solicitors and Will-writing services offer free Wills during these months is due to the hope that it will:
Spread awareness about the importance of having a legally-valid Will
Help those who don’t have the money to pay for a Will
Encourage people to leave a gift, or gifts, to a chosen charity
For more information, take a look at our guide on Leaving Gifts in Your Will.
Why is it important to make a Will?
If you don’t have a Will in place, your assets will be shared out according to the UK’s rules of intestacy - this includes everything you own such as your money, savings, possessions, property, etc.
While the first person in line to receive inheritance is generally your spouse or civil partner (if you’re married), this does not guarantee that all your loved ones will be taken care of in the way that you want them to and things can get complicated if certain family members are no longer alive. It can also, sadly, end up causing disputes between loved ones at a time when they should be grieving for their loss.
To avoid upset and distress, the best thing to do is to clearly write down your wishes in a Will, so that your hard-earned assets go where you want them to and all of your loved ones are cared for. It’s also a good idea to clarify things such as your funeral preferences to make it easier for your loved ones to prepare and so you know you’ll get the send-off you wanted.
Without a Will, your loved ones will have to go through lengthy and expensive legal proceedings and your belongings may get passed on to the wrong people, so having a Will in place can help prevent this from happening to your family.
What to consider when writing your free Will
When it comes to writing your own Will, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are a few things you’ll want to think about before you get started:
Who will be your beneficiaries?
Who will be your executor(s)?
Are you going to include a replacement executor?
Does the value of your estate go over the inheritance tax threshold?
Are you going to put any assets in trust?
What will happen to your business (if you have one)?
Who do you want to appoint as guardian to look after your children if you’re no longer here?
Are you going to leave any gifts to charity?
With quite a lot to think about, we understand that the process can seem daunting, but at Quick.Wills, we endeavour to make the process as easy and quick as possible for you. If you’re unsure about anything at all, our team is on hand to help - simply get in touch and a member of our team will be more than happy to help.
They’ll also be there to help when you’ve finished by checking everything over to make sure that everything is legally valid and that there’ll be no problems for your loved ones when the time comes.
Learn more: What to know before making a Will
How long will it take me to write a Will online?
There is no set time for making a Will, as of course, it all depends on how complex your estate is and what your personal wishes are, so it can take however long you need it to.
If you make your Will online with us at Quick Wills, it’ll definitely be a lot quicker than if you were to use a solicitor and generally, it can take a minimum of 20 - 30 minutes.
The beauty of doing it online is that you can save your progress at any time and come back to it later if you need a bit more time to think things over. And don’t forget, our team is always on hand to help should you have any questions.
Free Wills month in March next year - 2022
If you’ve missed free Wills month October, don’t worry, you’ll be eligible for a free will in March next year. Make a note in your diary so you don’t forget!
It really is so important to have a Will in place and so many people push it to the back of their minds and sometimes, it can be too late.
At Quick Wills, we offer a very affordable option of writing your own Will online, with prices starting at just £29.99 for a basic one, so if you do miss free Wills month and you want to get started straight away, you don’t need to pay hundreds of pounds for a solicitor to do it for you.
There are other ways to protect your future, such as putting a Lasting Power of Attorney in place and locking in fixed fees for probate, so take a look at our guides for more information to see if this is also right for you.
Get started with us today and get your free Will during October and March: