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Protect Each Other
Mirror Wills are a pair of Bespoke documents drafted at the same time, which mirror each other’s wishes. They’re ideal for couples who want to create a Will together, but don’t want to be bound by their partner’s Will in the future. They give each partner the flexibility to add their own personal wishes, too.
Why Do You Need a Will?
In the UK, if you die without leaving a valid Will, it’s known as dying intestate. This basically takes away your control of who could inherit your estate, leaving it to the government’s guidelines to distribute any finances, property or other assets you have.
If this is the case, your assets might not go where you’d want them to. The rules of intestacy follow a strict order and don’t take your personal circumstances into account. This could potentially cause a lot of upset for those you leave behind.
60% of UK Adults don’t have a Will
£15bn of inheritance has been left unclaimed
72% of those aged 35-54 haven’t made a Will
19% of people admit they don’t like discussing death
If you leave a valid Will, you can:
- Make it easier for your family to organise your estate
- Help reduce the amount of inheritance tax paid on the estates of your loved ones
- Nominate guardians for any children or pets you leave behind
- Ensure your loved ones are provided for by safeguarding your assets
Why Create a Mirror Will?
Mirrors Wills are usually identical in terms of the overall wishes expressed in them, and leave the bulk of each partner’s estate to the other partner. There can however be small differences in each Will, for example if one individual wished to leave some of their personal belongings (known legally as chattels) to a certain individual. They’re a great idea if:
- You’re not married to your partner
- You have similar wishes for your personal and shared estate
- You want to save money
- You want to create a Will which isn’t bound to another
Although it’s usually couples who create Mirror Wills, it doesn’t have to be the case. Any two people can create a Mirror Will, such as siblings, friends or even business partners.
It’s simply a way for two people to commit to leaving the bulk of their estate to each other should anything happen to them.
Family Pack
If you’re thinking of getting Mirror Wills, why not look at our cost saving Family Pack?
How Does Our Mirror Wills Service Work?
Get in touch with our team via email or give us a call.
One of our dedicated Wills Specialists will discuss your requirements with you.
We’ll draw up the Wills to your wishes, so you can be sure it’s legally sound.
Receive your Wills, have them signed and witnessed by two individuals. Sorted!
Mirror Wills vs. Mutual Wills
Mirror Wills are a relatively new invention, and have now largely replaced the old Mutual Will system of estate planning for couples. Mutual Wills carried many issues which didn’t suit the majority of people, and especially in recent decades, have shown that they no longer accurately reflect how assets are shared and owned between individuals in a relationship.
There are some instances where a Mutual Will would still be the preferred option for some people, though with the lack of flexibility, it’s not a common choice. For that reason, we only offer Mirror Wills currently.
Below we show the benefits of Mirror Wills compared to opting for a Mutual Will, but of course which is the better option depends on your situation. We’d highly recommend speaking to one of our specialist Will Writers to make sure you’re getting the right service for you. If we feel a Mirror Will wouldn’t be right for you , we’ll tell you so!
Mirror Will |
Mutual Will |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Features | |||
| Cheaper than creating 2 individual Wills | |||
| Can be changed at any time even after death of partner | |||
| Can be changed or revoked without partner’s permission | |||
| Takes into account changes in situation after one partner dies | |||
| Allows a variation of wishes for each partner | |||
Choose the Bespoke Will Service if…
You have complex wishes about how you’d like your assets distributed.
You have a large estate which will fall above the threshold for inheritance tax.
You have major health complications or ongoing support needs.
You own a business or hold any assets overseas.
You think your Will might be contested by family or other beneficiaries.
You want to leave any of your assets in a Trust (see more about Trusts here).
Questions
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Yes. It is very common to name the executor of you Will as one of the beneficiaries. This is completely legal and won’t cause any complications in enacting your wishes.
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You can either ask your executor to keep the original signed copy, or more commonly, have it placed in secure storage for safe keeping. Whatever option you choose, make sure that executors know where and how to access the Will.
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Unfortunately, yes. Your Will might be contested if someone who expected to benefit from your Will doesn’t. Although this isn’t a common occurrence, you can take steps to avoid any confusion and upset by just talking to your friends and family about your Will. Let them know what to expect.
It’s important that you seek expert guidance when creating your Will to make sure that all your wishes are clear and legally enactable.
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Technically, anyone over 18 can be a witness. That being said, don’t choose a Beneficiary of the Will as a witness. If a Beneficiary witnesses the Will, they forfeit their claim. We also recommend not choosing a friend or family member because it might cause conflict.
Having an impartial witness helps to prevent any unnecessary legal challenges in the future.
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If you create a Will and want all of your children to inherit, it’s important to make this clear. Don’t name some and leave others out (unless you explicitly want to). It’s a recipe for disaster, and it’ll probably end up being contested.
When someone in the line of inheritance who should by rights receive a share isn’t specifically named, it could be ruled as a mistake and be legally overridden. If you want to formally disinherit a child or a direct family member, you’ll need to make this clear and give your reasoning in your Will.
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Yes, these are known as Conditional Gifts. These are different to Absolute Gifts which have no obligations. If the recipient is to receive a Conditional Gift, then they must agree to the guidelines set in your Will in order to inherit the gift. For example, you may leave a gift of money to a grandchild on the condition that they use a portion of it to go to university. Another example would be that you leave a cash gift to a friend, on the agreement that they take on lifelong guardianship of your pet.
Any conditional gifts should ideally be discussed with the Beneficiary before making the conditions. You should also make sure that the guidelines are clear. There are some things which can’t be set as conditions for gifts in a Will, such as requirements of marriage.
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You can, but you need to let your executor know. Your Will might not be looked at until after the funeral. You’ll need to create an Additional Clauses section within your Bespoke Will and use this to provide any guidance for your funeral. Remember, however, that it isn’t legally binding and your wishes won’t necessarily happen.
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No, once your Will has been created and signed by yourself and your witnesses, it’s a legally binding document. If you attempt to make any amendments to your Will after it’s been signed, it’ll invalidate the Will. If you want to make any changes to your wishes, you’ll need to make a new Will.
Assets
Things of value you have in your possession, which are able to be passed on to another person.
Beneficiary
A person who receives money or other benefits from a Will or Trust.
Contested
Challenging the legal validity of a Will.
Estate
The sum of a person’s assets – legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind – less all liabilities at that time.
Executor
Someone who is responsible for executing, or carrying out the instructions of a Will.
Inheritance
Passing on private property, rights, and other assets upon the death of an individual.
Inheritance Tax
A tax on the estate (the property, money and possessions) of someone who’s died.
Intestacy
Government standard rules which apply when someone dies without leaving a valid Will, which dictate who is able to inherit that person’s assets.
Get in touch
Fill in the form to get in touch with our expert team. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
How will this questionnaire help me?
Wills can be complex legal documents and there are more than one type available. We offer a range of will services, because we know it’s important to ensure you get the service that’s right for you, at the best possible price.
By answering a few important questions, you can be confident that you’re not missing anything major which could cause complications in the future, and mean that your will is not fit for purpose.
Click the button below to start the questionnaire.