Preparing for your Will or LPA appointment
A little preparation goes a long way. Here's what's genuinely helpful to think about before we meet, so we can spend our time together on what matters, rather than searching for details on the day.
Why a little preparation helps
Quick summary: You don't need every answer perfectly worked out before we meet, that's exactly what the appointment is for. But having a general sense of your family situation, assets, and wishes means we can spend our time together getting the detail right, rather than starting from a blank page.
Nothing below is compulsory reading, think of it as a head start. If a question doesn't apply to you, or you're simply not sure yet, that's completely fine, we'll talk it through together.
If you're making a Will
It helps to have thought about, or gathered, the following:
About you and your family
- Your marital status, whether married, divorced, living with a partner, or expecting to marry
- Whether you have children, including from any previous relationship
- A rough idea of your assets, savings, shares, ISAs, Premium Bonds, cars, art or other valuables
- Whether you own property or other assets abroad, or own a business or share in one
- Any pets, and what provision you'd like made for them
- Whether you've made a Will before, if so, a copy is genuinely useful to have on hand
- Any funeral preferences or arrangements already in place
- Whether you already have a Lasting Power of Attorney in place
Beneficiaries
- Who you'd like to inherit, and roughly how you'd like your estate divided
- Full names, addresses, and relationships of everyone you'd like to name
- Whether any beneficiary might be vulnerable due to age, disability, or their circumstances, since this can affect how their inheritance is best structured
- Any charitable gifts you'd like to make
Guardians, executors and trustees
- If you have children under 18, who you'd like to appoint as their guardian, ideally a single person or a cohabiting couple
- Who you'd like to appoint as your executors, the people responsible for carrying out your wishes
If you're not sure whether a Simple Will covers your situation, or your circumstances call for something more, that's exactly what we'll help you work out together.
If you're setting up a Power of Attorney
For an LPA appointment, it helps to have thought about:
- Who you trust to act as your attorney, or attorneys, for financial decisions, health decisions, or both
- Whether you'd like a replacement attorney named, in case your first choice is ever unable to act
- If appointing more than one attorney, whether you'd like them to act jointly, agreeing on everything together, or jointly and severally, able to act independently
- Any specific preferences or instructions you'd like recorded for your attorneys to follow
- The full names and addresses of your proposed attorneys and replacement attorneys
What to have ready on the day
A few practical things make the appointment itself run smoothly:
- Photo ID, such as a passport or driving licence
- A copy of any existing Will or LPA, if you have one
- The full names and addresses of anyone you're naming, beneficiaries, guardians, executors, or attorneys
- A list of any questions you've been meaning to ask, however small they seem
And if you can't lay your hands on everything, don't worry. We'd always rather get started and fill in gaps afterwards than have you delay booking altogether.
Prefer us to come to you?
Home visits are available at no extra charge across our service area, at a time that suits you, with as much time as your appointment needs.
Ready when you are, however prepared you feel
Call 01934 442030 for a free, no-obligation conversation, we'll take it from there.
Home visits across Somerset, or online anywhere in England and Wales.
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