Tuesday 28th October 2025 Where there’s a will, there’s a way Of these people surveyed, around 30% of parents still don’t have a will, and approximately a quarter of the population in the UK admit to having not even thought about writing a will. The main reason for people not having a will is usually because they think they are too poor to need one. However, every year the treasury earns billions £ from both inheritance tax as well as from people who die intestate. Other common reasons for not having a will are; because the person feels that they are unlikely to die soon, they don’t feel comfortable discussing death with a stranger, they’re worried about the number of decisions that they’ll need to make, and they generally don’t know where to start. Research also suggests that men are slightly more likely than women to have a will and only around 1 in 10 people have told anyone where their will is kept. 
0 Comments
Tuesday 21st October 2025 How can I leave a gift to charity in my online will? Leave a gift to charity in my online will. Last year (2019) people left more than £3 billion in their wills to charities and good causes. At Premier Wills our technology makes it easy for you to leave a gift to charity in your will! Here’s everything you need to know about legacy giving – According to the Daily Telegraph, a little cash can go a long way for a charity – £4 will pay for a counsellor to answer a child calling Childline. NSPCC £2,000 would enable four musically talented young people from low-income families to receive a grant and a year of support for their music-making. Awards for Young Musicians £5 will help buy equipment that researchers need to grow cells for their work. British Heart Foundation 1% of a £5,000 estate will kit out an assistance dog with a high-vis jacket and specialised harnesses. Support Dogs 0.1% of a £90,000 estate could pay for a class of 30 primary school children to receive the NSPCC’s Speak Out, Stay Safe programme to help protect them from abuse. NSPCC £300 could feed 10 families in Syria for one month. British Red Cross £1,000 could pay for four research study participants to have detailed MRI scans of their hearts. British Heart Foundation How can I leave to charity in my online will? You can: Specify a named charity or charities that will benefit or Let the trustees of your Will decide. If you select specific charities, then it’s best to include their registered charity numbers. This will help to avoid any administration confusion. If you opt to let the trustees choose the charities, then we recommend that you provide them with some clear guidance. You can donate – A fixed amount An item What’s left after other gifts have been given out Your donation will either – Be taken off the value of your estate before Inheritance Tax is calculated or Reduce your Inheritance Tax rate, if 10% or more of your estate is left to charity This is unusual. But it’s important to be aware – The Inheritance Act means that your will should reasonably provide for any financial dependents you may have. If you leave everything to charity, and choose not to provide for these dependants, then a family member may be able to contest your will. If you left lots to charity, then family members could also argue that your will was made when you were not of sound mind. As long as your will provides reasonable provision for any dependants, then can leave assets to whoever you choose, including charities.Why should I bother leaving anything to charity in my online will?
There are 2 ways to leave money to charity in your online will –
What Can I Donate?
How does the inheritance tax work when I leave a gift to charity?
Can Family Members Contest Donations In My Will?
Anything else I need to know?
0 Comments
Tuesday 21st October 2025 Write a Will Online! What Happens if you Die Without One? Here’s why you should write a will online. Recent research shows that over half of the UK population die without making a valid will. Around 5.4 million people don’t know how to make one. Most people believe that if they die without making a will, any assets they own will automatically go to their spouse and children. Unfortunately, this is not always the case! If you die without making a will, your estate will be handled according to the laws of the intestacy. The laws of intestacy set out a hierarchy of distribution of an estate where a person dies without a will. Only married or civil partners and some other close relatives can inherit under the rules of intestacy, anyone else is not automatically entitled to inherit anything from the deceased’s estate. A surviving spouse, but no children. Where there is a surviving spouse but no children, the spouse inherits everything. A surviving spouse with children. Where there are a surviving spouse and children, the intestacy rules will share the estate as follows. The spouse of the deceased will receive everything up to the value of £250,000. Anything in addition to the £250,000 is divided in two. Half will go to the spouse; then any children will receive the other half when they reach the age of 18. Children but no partner. If there are children but no married or civil partner, the children will inherit everything, and all proceeds will be equally split between them. ‘Children’ includes adopted children but not stepchildren. No partner and no children. The estate will fall to the deceased’s parents. If the parents of the deceased have died, the assets will be distributed in the following order: 1. Brothers and sisters (or nephews and nieces if the sibling has died) 2. Grandparents 3. Uncles and aunties (or cousins if the uncle or aunt has died If this isn’t possible, the estate goes to the Crown. What happens to joint assets under intestacy? If the home is jointly owned, the deceased’s share will automatically pass to the surviving partner. Suppose the home is owned as ‘tenants in common’. In that case, the survivor isn’t automatically entitled to inherit the share of the property. Therefore the deceased’s share will pass under the laws of intestacy. Couples may own joint bank accounts or building society accounts. The ‘survivorship rule’ applies in this instance also where the surviving partner will automatically inherit all the money in the account. It’s important to point out, the rules of intestacy may not distribute the estate in the most tax-efficient way. Write an online will! It’s one of the most important things you can do because it allows you to decide how your assets will be distributed and to whom on your death.Here’s why you need to write an online will –
Here’s our simple explanation of some of the hierarchy of intestacy rules –
0 Comments
Tuesday 21st October 2025 How easy is it to write an online will? A recent client (female, 55+) commented – “Premier Wills Online is a great way to sort out your will. The process is simple and easy to follow with lots of options”. A married couple is their early 40s also commented – “Premier Wills made the whole process easier than we ever could have imagined. The system was very efficient and easy to use. We appreciate being able to make and save changes as and when we need to”. 1. Create an account 2. Tell us why you want a will 3. Complete and review each section 4. Finalise and pay for your documents It really is that simple! With Premier Wills, you have total peace of mind. We’re safe and secure, we use the latest technology, and we were created by experienced practising lawyers. However, we’re also a member of The Society of Will Writers. Founded in 1984, the Society of Will Writers has grown to become the largest and the leading self-regulatory body governing Will Writers and Estate Planners. They currently have around 1,700 members across the U.K., Europe and further afield. Advice from the Society of Will Writers recommends – “When choosing your Will Writer, always be sure to look out for their membership grade and any of the Society’s logos. All are a public assurance of their bearers’ expertise and competence.”To write an online will with Premier Wills, you just need to follow these simple steps –
0 Comments
Monday 20th October 2025 Choosing the Right Executor for Your Will Your executor is the person (or people) who will sort out your estate when you die and make sure your Will is followed. It’s an important role — so it’s worth choosing carefully. Here are the key things to consider. This is the big one. Your executor will: So choose someone sensible, fair, and reliable. Even simple estates can take months. A good executor is: They don’t have to do it all themselves — executors can always hire professionals and pay for them from the estate — but picking someone who isn’t scared of admin helps. You can name up to four executors, but they have to act together — so too many can get messy. A good setup for most people: That way, if one dies before you or renounces the role, there’s someone else in place. Yes — this is very common. Your spouse, partner, or adult child can both inherit and act as executor. Just remember: they can’t be a witness to your Will if they’re also a beneficiary. At least one executor must be 18 or over to apply for probate. You can name someone younger, but they can’t act until they’re 18 — so it’s sensible to name an adult alongside them. If you’re leaving something to a child or someone who isn’t able to manage money, you should name two executors. You can — and lots of people do. But remember: they’ll also be grieving. A good option is to name: That shares the load. You can appoint a solicitor, accountant, bank, or probate specialist as your executor. The good thing is: they know what they’re doing. The downside: cost. Typical costs can run into the thousands, especially for full probate and estate administration. Often the best approach is: That’s usually more cost-effective. (If you do want a professional executor, make sure you understand how they charge and whether they’ll agree to step aside if your family wants to deal with it themselves.) Yes — it’s smart to name replacement or reserve executors in your Will (Premier Wills Online lets you do this easily). That way, if your first choice has died, is ill, or just doesn’t want the job, someone else can step in without changing the whole Will. If there’s truly no one suitable, it’s still better to make a Will. A professional or, in some cases, the Public Trustee can act — but they will charge from the estate. Whoever you choose, make sure your Will includes: And ideally: ask them first so it’s not a surprise. If you’re ready to put this into place: Add more than one executor and a reserve Get IHT advice if your executor is likely to deal with tax on your estate That way, the people you trust - not the court - are in charge. 1. Do you trust them?
2. Can they cope with the admin?
3. One executor or two?
4. Can a beneficiary be an executor?
5. Age and availability
6. Should you name your spouse/partner?
7. Using a professional executor
8. Do you need substitutes?
9. What if you don’t have anyone?
10. Get their details right
So they can be identified and contacted easily.
0 Comments
Saturday 18th October 2025 Do I Need a Will If I Don’t Have Children? Yes. Here’s Why. Not having children (or even a spouse) makes a lot of people think, “Well… who am I writing a Will for?” It’s a fair question. But it’s also the reason so many people die without a Will and unintentionally hand all the power over their estate to the law, not to the people or causes they actually care about. At Premier Wills Online, we see this all the time: single people, people without children, people with distant family, or people whose closest connections are friends or charities, and they assume a Will is “for families.” It isn’t. A Will is for anyone who wants control. Below is why you still 100% need a Will, maybe even more than someone with a traditional family setup. When someone dies without a Will, they die intestate. That means your estate (your money, property, savings, possessions) gets distributed according to UK intestacy rules, not according to what feels fair or logical to you. If you don’t have children or a spouse, the law will start working its way outwards through your relatives — parents, siblings, nieces/nephews, sometimes very distant relatives. If none exist, your estate could eventually pass to the Crown. Ask yourself: Is that what you would choose? Lots of people without children tell us, “I don’t really mind where it goes.” But most people do mind if you ask a couple more specific questions: A Will lets you be intentional. Without one, everything becomes generic. And generic rarely equals fair. Without a Will, your assets can end up: It’s not always about “who gets rich from your estate” — sometimes it’s about avoiding arguments and admin. A clear, valid Will from Premier Wills Online tells everyone: this is what I wanted. That’s powerful. One of the biggest advantages of not having children is freedom. With a Will, you can: This is legacy. Children aren’t the only legacy. A Will lets you make a statement about what mattered to you. A lot of people think Inheritance Tax (IHT) is only a “wealthy family” problem. Not true. If you own a property and have savings, you could easily drift into IHT territory — especially in parts of the UK where house prices are high. With a Will, and especially with some basic planning, you can: Leave money to charity and reduce IHT A little planning now can mean thousands of pounds more go to people or causes you actually care about. A Will isn’t only about money. You can also set out: If you don’t do this, your loved ones have to make decisions in a stressful moment — and they may disagree. A Will gives clarity. Right now you might be single, no children, small circle. But life changes. You could form a new relationship, become a step-parent, take in a relative, or want to leave money to someone younger. The good news: Wills can be updated. Starting one now with Premier Wills Online is smart, not premature. You get control today and can refine it tomorrow. This bit is rarely talked about. Dying intestate can mean: That means less of your money goes to the people or causes you would have chosen. A Will is one of the cheapest, most powerful bits of legal admin you can do. You don’t need to sit in a solicitor’s office for hours to do this. With Premier Wills Online you can create a fully legal, personalised Will from home, at your own pace. Yes. If you’d rather keep control, Start your Will online with Premier Wills Online
1. If You Don’t Choose, the Law Chooses
If not, you need a Will.
2. “But I Don’t Mind Who Gets It” … Are You Sure?
3. You Can Protect Against “Unintended Beneficiaries”
4. You Can Do Something Brilliant With Your Money
5. You Can Reduce or Plan for Inheritance Tax (Yes, Even Without Kids)
6. You Can Set Out Your Wishes (So People Don’t Guess Later)
7. You Might Not Be “Heirless” Forever
8. Dying Without a Will Can Get Expensive
9. It’s Quick to Do Online
So… Do You Need a Will If You Don’t Have Children?
Because a Will isn’t about how many dependants you have — it’s about who decides.
0 Comments
Sunday 12th October 2025 How Do You Deal With Digital Legacy in a Will? Digital legacy is everything you own or control online that will outlive you. It can include: Email accounts (Gmail, Outlook, iCloud) Social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn) Cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive) Photos and videos stored online Online banking, PayPal, Stripe, Wise Online-only businesses (Etsy, eBay, Shopify, Gumroad) Subscriptions (Netflix, Spotify, Apple, Amazon) Domain names and websites Loyalty/rewards accounts Digital assets (ebooks, music, software licences) Cryptocurrency and NFTs Some of these have sentimental value (family photos, social media posts). This is the tricky bit. On the one hand, your executor needs access. On the other hand, you must not put all your passwords in your Will. Why not? Your Will can become a public document after probate Passwords change It’s unsafe to put login details in a static legal document So instead of putting passwords in the Will, do this: Create a digital assets list Use a password manager Tell your executor how to access the manager a trusted contact feature an emergency access feature or written instructions stored somewhere safe (NOT in the Will) Give permission in your Will Keep it updated Crypto needs its own mention because it’s easy to lose and hard to recover. Key points: Crypto isn’t like a bank account — there’s no “forgot password” button for your private keys. If no one knows you have it, or where the wallet is, or what the seed phrase is… it’s gone. If you keep your seed phrase in your Will, that’s insecure. Best practice: Acknowledge it in your Will Keep seed phrases / private keys separate Document the platforms Explain your intentions Consider two-step access Usually: no. What you need is: A normal Will that: appoints executors gives them explicit authority to access and deal with digital assets says your digital assets form part of your estate A separate, non-public document (sometimes called a digital assets register or inventory) that: lists your accounts says what you want done with them (delete / memorialise / transfer / archive) tells them where to find passwords/seed phrases Optionally, a letter of wishes “Please download and share all family photos with X” “Please close all social media accounts except Facebook — set to memorial” “Please keep my personal blog online for 12 months” You can speak to a professional for wording, but in general your Will should: confirm that your “property” includes digital assets authorise your executors to access, manage, download, transfer or delete your digital assets authorise them to contact service providers (e.g. Google, Apple, Meta) to request access/closure point to any separate guidance you’ve left Social media: some platforms (Facebook, Google, Apple) let you set a “legacy contact” or “inactive account manager” now — do it while you’re alive. Paid subscriptions: someone needs to cancel them, or your account keeps paying. Domain names/websites: if no one renews them, they expire — this can matter for family businesses. Shared storage: family photos in one person’s iCloud/Google Photos get lost if no one can access them. Privacy: you can ask for some digital content to be deleted, not passed on. Digital stuff doesn’t automatically sort itself out when you die. Your Will should mention digital assets. Your passwords/keys should be kept outside the Will, but signposted in it. Crypto needs extra care. In most cases, one Will is enough — just drafted with the digital world in mind.
What is digital legacy?
Some have financial value (PayPal balance, crypto, online business).
Some are just admin (bills, accounts, domains).How to handle passwords securely?
Make a separate document that lists your important online accounts and what they are (e.g. “Facebook account”, “Gmail (personal)”, “PayPal business”, “Binance account”, “Shopify store”).
Store your logins in a secure password manager (1Password, Bitwarden, LastPass, etc.). Then in your Will, you can give your executor authority to access “my password manager and any related digital accounts for the purpose of administering my estate.”
This can be done via:
Because of privacy laws and computer misuse legislation, it’s helpful to include wording that says your executors are allowed to access, download and delete your digital accounts. It shows your intention.
Your logins change way more often than your Will — so keep the separate list updated, not the Will itself.What about cryptocurrency?
Say that you own digital assets/cryptocurrency and that your executors are authorised to access and distribute them.
Store them offline in a secure location (safe, bank deposit box, encrypted file) and tell your executor where to find them.
Note whether it’s on an exchange (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance) or self-custody (Ledger, Trezor, software wallet). Access steps are different.
Do you want it sold and converted to GBP? Passed as crypto to someone who knows how to look after it? Split? Your Will (or a letter of wishes) can say.
For high-value crypto, some people use a “2 people needed to unlock” approach so that no single person can just take it.Do I need a separate Will to cover this?
Most people don’t need a separate “digital Will”.
This isn’t a formal Will but can guide your executors on things like:
What should I actually put in my Will?
Extra things people forget
In summary
0 Comments
Thursday 09th October 2025 Will Jargon Buster At Premier Wills Online, we think making a Will should be clear, calm, and hassle-free. Below is a simple guide to the most common terms you’ll come across when writing or reviewing a Will. If you’re still unsure about anything, you can: What it means: Usually the court issues a document (often called a Grant of Probate or Grant of Representation) which gives the person in charge the authority to deal with banks, HMRC, and other organisations. A beneficiary is simply someone who receives something in a Will, money, property, an item, or even the whole estate. The testator is the person making the Will. (If it’s a woman, some older documents say “testatrix” — but “testator” is now used for everyone.) If someone dies without a valid Will, they are said to have died intestate. That’s one of the big reasons we recommend having a Will, even if your situation is straightforward. An executor is the person (or people) named in your Will to sort everything out when you die. Their job is to: Executors have a legal duty to act properly, which is why it’s important to choose people you trust. If there is no valid Will, there’s no executor named. In that case, the court will appoint someone to do the job, this person is called an administrator. So: This is a gift of a particular item to a particular person. For example: That’s a specific legacy. This is a gift paid from the general estate, usually a set amount of money. For example: Those are general (pecuniary) legacies. A trust is a legal arrangement where property or money is looked after by people (trustees) for someone else’s benefit. Trusts are often used to: (You can set up many common trusts directly in your Will.) You can add trust provisions when you create your Will online with Premier Wills Online. A trustee is the person (or people) you appoint to manage assets in a trust. Sometimes your executors can also act as trustees, it depends how your Will is written. Mirror Wills are two Wills, usually for couples, that say almost the same thing. Example: They’re popular for married couples, civil partners, and long-term partners who want to protect each other and make sure the estate eventually passes to the right people. (Partners can still have separate Wills if their wishes are different.) A Living Will (also called an Advance Decision or Advance Directive) is not about money or property. It’s a document where you set out your wishes for medical treatment in case, in the future, you can’t communicate or make decisions yourself. For example, you can say whether you would or would not want certain life-sustaining treatments. It sits alongside your Will, not instead of it. A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) lets you legally appoint someone you trust to make decisions for you if you can’t do so yourself later on. There are two main types: If you don’t have an LPA and you lose capacity, your family may have to apply to the court, which is slower, more expensive, and you don’t get to choose who acts. That’s why we often say: If you’re reading this because you’re about to make your Will, you’re in the right place.Not sure what all the legal words mean? Let’s untangle them.
Probate
Probate is the legal process of dealing with someone’s estate after they die, gathering their assets, paying any debts/tax, and passing what’s left to the right people.
Beneficiary
Testator
Intestate / Intestate Estate
Their estate is then shared out according to the intestacy rules of England and Wales, not according to what they may have wanted.
Executor
Administrator
Specific Legacy (or Specific Gift)
General Legacy / Pecuniary Legacy
Trust
Trustee
They must act in the best interests of the person who is meant to benefit (the beneficiary).
Mirror Wills
Living Will / Advance Decision
Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)
0 Comments
Monday 25th August 2025 Does My Will Include Power of Attorney? Because they do different legal jobs, they’re separate legal documents. Even if it “makes sense” to you that your spouse or main beneficiary should make decisions for you, that won’t stand up if a bank, doctor, or court asks for proof. They need to see a registered LPA (or, without one, your family may have to go to the Court of Protection). In England and Wales there are two main LPAs: Property and Financial Affairs LPA Lets someone you choose manage money, bills, bank accounts, home, pensions, selling property Health and Welfare LPA Lets someone make medical/care decisions, where you live, sometimes life-sustaining treatment decisions It ends. Your attorney can’t use your LPA after death They can’t change your Will They can’t make a new Will for you After death, the people who have authority are your executors (the ones named in your Will) No — not without the court. Attorneys must follow the Mental Capacity Act and act in your best interests, but they can’t rewrite your Will. If someone has lost capacity and doesn’t have a valid Will (or needs to update it), there’s a route via the Court of Protection for a statutory Will — but that’s formal and not automatic. For most people: yes. Will → controls who gets what when you die LPA → controls who decides if you can’t decide for yourself Having a Will without an LPA can leave your family stuck if you’re alive but unable to manage things. You can still make a Will. appoint more than one attorney to act together appoint a replacement attorney in some cases, use a professional — but that has costs A Will does not include a Power of Attorney A Power of Attorney stops when you die Your attorney can’t change your Will If you want someone to manage things while you’re alive and to inherit after you die, set up both a Will and an LPA Doing them at the same time usually gives the clearest, most consistent instructions Short answer: no — your Will and your Power of Attorney are two different things.
A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) only works while you’re alive.
Will vs Power of Attorney: what’s the difference?
Why isn’t Power of Attorney included in a Will?
Types of Lasting Power of Attorney
What happens to Power of Attorney when you die?
Can an attorney change my Will?
Do I really need both?
Having an LPA without a Will can leave confusion about where your money goes after death.What if I don’t have anyone to appoint?
For Power of Attorney, you can:
Key points to remember
0 Comments
