It’s your Will. We’ll make sure it’s right.
Will Writing Services
Looking after your loved ones. Protecting your possessions.
A Will is a written record of what you want to happen to your possessions when you die. It’s also a way of ensuring your wishes are carried out. A Will can mean the difference between the interests of your loved ones being protected and their future being placed at risk. Your Will is such an important document that we believe that it needs to be drawn up by a legal expert. That’s why we offer a professional Will writing service at The Co-operative Legal Services. It’s designed to help people like you sort everything out in as quick, simple, straightforward and cost-effective a way as possible. We hope you find this guide helpful in explaining just how important a Will is and how we can make your life easier, by tailoring a professional Will for you or updating an existing Will.
For FREE Wills legal advice, call
0845 600 5207 All lines open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturdays Quote ref: W0072
Without a Will, you’re not in control Whatever your circumstances, a Will should be at the top of your priorities. Because, without one, you could be putting your family’s future at risk. Drawing up a Will makes perfect sense, because it gives you control over what happens after you die. You get to leave exactly what you want to exactly whom you want.
Without a Will, all sorts of potential hazards await: • If you are married, your spouse may not inherit all of your property and possessions. • If you are living with a partner, they may receive nothing at all. • If you have children, the courts may decide their future and who looks after them. • Your funeral arrangements may not be as you would have wished. • Legal issues and family rifts after your death could be caused.
With a Will, you are safeguarding the future A carefully prepared Will could save your loved ones a lot of frustration and heartache at a difficult time. That’s why you should talk to us first about your Will. We’ll help you: • Gain peace of mind. • Ensure your possessions go to the people you want. • Safeguard your children’s financial interests. • Look after your children’s upbringing and appoint legal guardians for them. • Avoid problems that may arise after your death, when it’s too late to put things right.
Keeping it current Even if you have made a Will, it’s essential to make sure it has been professionally drafted. A poorly worded Will can be worse than no Will at all leading to ambiguity and argument. Changes in your personal or financial circumstances can also impact on your Will. Such changes include: • Marriage, divorce or separation. • The birth or adoption of a child. • Inheriting money or buying a house. That’s why we’ve introduced a Will Healthcheck service to review your existing Will and ensure it is still meeting your needs. We’ll then give you our recommendation on any changes that may be required.
Giving you a helping hand. Providing you with peace of mind.
We realise that the legal world can be an intimidating place. That’s why at The Co-operative Legal Services we do things differently. Our aim is to make things simple, transparent and cost-effective for you, by offering a professional Will writing service that is easily accessible and takes away as much hassle as possible. To achieve this we offer: Free Legal Advice
Convenience
We provide all telephone support, help
Everything is conducted over the
and legal advice on Wills free of charge.
telephone for maximum convenience.
It is offered without obligation and in
When you call us for help and advice,
complete confidence.
you can be sure that your enquiry will be
Free Will Healthcheck
handled with integrity and discretion.
We will review your current Will, check
Dedicated Legal Experts
whether it is still valid and provide a
You will have a dedicated legal expert
recommendation on any changes that
who will be responsible for writing your
are required.
Will. So you have one name and number
Free Will Storage Your Will is extremely important so we
to remember and one point of contact for ease and simplicity.
make sure it is stored safely in a secure,
Ongoing Support
fire and waterproof area.
We can review the Will you have written
Fixed Fees Our value for money service comes with a guarantee that our fees are fixed and agreed at the outset. The price we quote is the price we’ll adhere to.
with us if in the future your personal circumstances change. For example a change in the assets you hold, inheritance, separation or change in beneficiaries.
Our Will writing services We will draft your Will professionally to meet your personal circumstances. To ensure this happens, a personal adviser will discuss your needs and advise on the most appropriate Will for you. Our range of Will services are described in more detail below. Single Will for Individuals A Single Will provides a cost-effective way to look after all your main requirements, including: • Appointing people you trust (executors) to ensure your Will is carried out in accordance with your wishes after you die. • Appointing people to look after any children you may have (guardians). • Naming who will receive what from your estate (beneficiaries). • Your personal wishes for your funeral. Mirror Will for Couples Designed for couples (married or partners) who want similar things to happen when one or both die. A Mirror Will includes all the elements of the Single Will for two people. Will Storage Your Will is extremely important so we make sure it is stored safely in a secure, fire and waterproof area. This service is provided to you as a valuable additional benefit free of charge when you take out a Will with us. Executor Service Being an executor can be time-consuming, onerous and often complex. Our executor service takes the strain away. You can appoint The Co-operative Legal Services as a sole or joint executor of your Will to relieve the pressure on family and friends at a difficult time.
Discretionary Trust Will The discretionary trust gives you more control over the future distribution of your estate by helping to protect vulnerable beneficiaries of your estate. • where there is a disabled relative; or For example: • someone who is in financial difficulty; or • someone is experiencing a marriage breakdown. The discretionary trust does not specifically identify the beneficiaries, but includes a number of alternatives, or a class of beneficiaries to whom the trust fund can be distributed. This prevents a vulnerable beneficiary from taking possession of a lump sum which could then be taken from them by a predator/creditor or which could result in the loss of benefits for a disabled person. Property Trust Will This allows you to extend control to the beneficiaries of your property after your death. It allows someone living in the property, who you wish to continue living there to remain there either until their death or until a specified future time at which point the property would be sold and the proceeds divided between specified beneficiaries. If you are concerned that long-term care may become an issue and that your estate may be at risk this Will is useful in reducing the impact of care home fees on the value of the property on your death. Living Will A Living Will is a separate document to your main Will and deals with your wishes if you become terminally ill and need medical treatment in hospital. This is a written document which allows you to give clear instructions about which kinds of medical treatment you would accept and those you would refuse if you were unable to communicate following a serious illness or accident. Will Healthcheck Our Will Healthcheck Service ensures your Will continues to remain relevant in light of new legislation or any changes in your personal or financial circumstances. We will review your current Will, check whether it is still valid and provide recommendation on any changes that may be required.
Our service made simple Our step-by-step telephone based Will writing service ensures that your Will can be tailored to your needs, with advice and support always at hand, and without you having to leave the comfort of your own home. We complete all the paperwork for you, always taking things at your pace, while keeping you in the picture at all times using simple plain language. Four steps is all it takes: Step 1 Ring us on 0845 600 5207 to make an appointment with a member of our Will writing team. It will be useful to have thought through some key points in advance (see opposite page). Step 2 A legal expert will contact you at a pre-arranged appointment time to discuss your individual and family circumstances, as well as your wishes in relation to your Will. Step 3 We will draft a personally tailored Will for you, and forward a copy to you for checking and approval. If you want to make any amendments, simply let us know and we will redraft until it meets your requirements. Step 4 You return the signed Will to us and we store it in a secure, fire and waterproof facility on your behalf.
Some things to think about It will be useful to think through some things before you call us. For example, who you would like to leave things to, how any children would be looked after and your preferred funeral arrangements. That way you will know in advance some of the decisions you need to make regarding your Will and you will understand the questions your personal legal expert will ask you. What am I leaving behind? In legal terms, everything you own is known as your Estate. If you own your home, this may be the most valuable asset you leave behind. But when thinking about your Will, you also need to add the value of your savings, your car, your insurance policies and pensions, as well as things of sentimental value. Who do I want to leave it to? Besides considering what you are leaving behind, you should think about who you wish to leave your assets to, in what proportion and what should happen if they die before you. Who do I want to look after my children? You will need to think carefully about who should be responsible for your children (the Guardians) if you were to die while they were young. Who do I want to carry out my wishes? You should also think about who you would like to appoint as Executors. Executors are responsible for administering your Estate and ensuring your wishes are carried out after you die. You can choose to appoint us as a professional executor, or opt for a friend or family member, even if they will benefit from the Will themselves.
Simple, transparent, and easy on your budget too.
Why choose us? • We make it easy for you to plan for your future whatever it holds. • You won’t be faced with escalating legal costs or legal jargon. Instead, you’ll find us very approachable, providing a straight-talking and stress-free route to a professionally drafted Will. • Everything is conducted over the telephone for maximum convenience. When you call us for help and advice, you can be sure that your enquiry will be handled quickly with integrity and discretion. • You will have a dedicated personal adviser who will be responsible for your affairs. You have one name and number to remember and one point of contact for ease and convenience. • We never forget that you remain in control at all times, so we take everything at your pace. There is no pressure or obligation to act until you are ready to. • Everything is completely transparent. Our value for money service is competitively priced with fixed fee quotes.
So what’s next? • You can get FREE, immediate advice over the telephone, giving you help and guidance in relation to your Will by calling us today. • We’ll explain exactly how our service operates and what you will get. We’ll also be able to give you an initial estimate of the cost of writing your Will, based on this conversation. • Our charges will be confirmed to you at a later stage after we have a detailed conversation with you about your circumstances before commencing any work. Importantly, there’s absolutely no obligation from you. • Remember, our service is provided directly by The Co-operative Legal Services. Our professional team has the same ethical and customer service standards as all other parts of The Co-operative family of businesses, providing complete peace of mind.
For FREE Wills legal advice, call
0845 600 5207 All lines open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturdays Quote ref: W0072
About us? Free legal advice from The Co-operative The Co-operative Legal Services is a trusted source of legal advice and help for members of The Co-operative Group and the general public alike. We are committed to providing straightforward, value-for-money services backed by co-operative ethical values of openness, honesty, social responsibility and caring for others. We are dedicated to widening and easing public access to legal provision and offer a welcome alternative to traditional law firms and solicitors. As part of this commitment we provide services on a fixed fee basis and offer free legal advice on each of the areas listed below. In addition, Co-operative Members are entitled to free legal advice on a wide range of legal matters. Will writing – to protect your wishes, property and possessions in the event of your death. When someone dies – to help with all the legal and administrative processes related to the death of a loved one. Buying & selling your home – to get the legal processes moving, including conveyancing and Home Information Packs for your property. Accident & injuries – for help and assistance on your legal rights following an accident or injury on or off the road. Employment disputes – for advice on claims against employers including redundancy and discrimination. For free legal advice, or if you have any questions, on any of the areas above, visit www.co-operative.coop/legalservices or call 0845 600 5207.
Free Legal Advice The Co-operative Legal Services provides straightforward, value-for-money services backed by The Co-operative Group ethical values of openness, honesty, social responsibility and caring for others. As part of this commitment we provide services on a fixed fee basis and offer free legal advice on each of the following: Will writing To protect your wishes, property and possessions in the event of your death. When someone dies To help with all the legal and administrative processes surrounding the death of a loved one. Buying & selling your home To get the legal processes moving, including conveyancing and Home Information Packs. Accident & injuries For help and assistance on your legal rights following an accident or injury on or off the road. Employment disputes For advice on claims against employers including redundancy and discrimination.
For free legal advice call us on: 0845 603 7199 quoting reference no. W0072. Lines open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturdays.
www.co-operative.coop/legalservices We like to keep things upfront so please note:
Calls to 0845 numbers will cost no more than 4p per minute for BT customers. Calls from other networks may vary. Our service to you is really important so calls may be recorded. Unfortunately our Healthcheck service is not available in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Terms and conditions apply and are available on request. Co-operative Legal Services Limited will use your information to provide you with offers, which may be of interest to you. We may introduce you to our parent Co-operative Group Limited its subsidiaries and carefully selected organisations and would like to tell you by post, telephone, e-mail and SMS texts about a wide range of offers, which may be of interest to you. If you do not want to receive such information please let us know when calling. Our full privacy policy is set out on www.co-operative.coop Co-operative Legal Services Limited, New Century House, Manchester M60 4ES. Registered No. 05671209
We like our communications to have an impact on you but not on the environment, which is why this leaflet has been produced using 100% recycled paper. Please pass on or recycle this leaflet once you have finished with it.