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Drawing up a Will Online

Article Summary: A will is a legally-enforceable, written document that directs the manner in which the will-writer’s wealth and property will be distributed after death. It names specific persons (relatives, friends, etc.) or entities (beneficiaries, trusts, etc.) which are to be assigned all or a proportion of the property. It is the only practical way to ensure that your property is distributed according to your wishes after your death and not according to the law of the land.

A will usually empowers an executor to oversee the management, transfer and distribution of the will-writer’s property. To be legally valid, the will must be signed by the will-writer along with a couple or more witnesses. If the will does not name any executor or the executor is dead or unable to execute the will, the court will appoint an administrator to oversee its execution.

A will should contain:

1. A detailed list of the money and property you own.
2. The intended recipients of your wealth after your death.
3. The guardians of your minor children (if any).
4. The name of an executor who will administer the will.

Often, a will also lays down the funeral and burial instructions of the will-writer.

Traditionally, wills have been written with advice from a solicitor because of the various legal formalities that have to be considered. The charges for high-street legal firms can be quite high. Writing and modifying the will requires many face-to-face interactions with your solicitor and you may be billed by the hour. In recent years, the concept of online will-writing has emerged as a fast, convenient and inexpensive way to draft your own will quickly and cheaply.

Making a Will Online

Making a will online is an easy step-by-step process that requires no legal knowledge or special training. The will-making websites have interactive software that guides you through the entire process and is tailor-made for first-time users.

Finding an Online Will Services Company – An Internet search will reveal many companies that offer online will-making services. These have varying charges. You should carefully choose the one that suits your needs by comparing the services of several companies.

Registration – Online will-making websites require a new customer to register with a password and username. Once you have created an account, you are free to log in as many times to complete your will or even if you wish to modify it.

The Virtual Interview – The backbone of the online will-making process is a “virtual interview” (automated question and answer session). Once you log in to the website, the software presents questions to you in a sequence. You have to answer by typing in information or clicking on the available options for multiple-choice questions. The intelligent or intuitive software searches its database for appropriate questions based on your previous answer. The entire session is about two-dozen-questions long and the step-by-step approach makes the process quite easy. You do not have to provide all the answers in one sitting but can save the session and resume later once you have thought things over.

Help is provided for the questions asked, in case you are unsure as to how the answers will affect the making of the will. The questions you have to answer, relate to your marriage status, arrangements for children, guardianship, funeral or burial arrangements, appointment of executors, inheritance taxes, distribution of property, gifts and charity donations. All information you provide as part of the will-making process is kept confidential. You can also post your queries and will be answered by a solicitor by email or over phone. Many online will-making companies get your will reviewed by their in-house solicitor to check on legal issues.

Helpful Tips – The will-making websites present FAQs about making wills online and explain technical terms so that you do not get lost in technical jargon. On the other hand, meeting a solicitor face-to-face would have cost you a pretty penny!

0Payment & Delivery – Once you have completed the questionnaire and provided mandatory information, you have to make a payment online by credit card. Thereafter, the professionally printed and bound will document is posted to you within three or four days for you to sign. For an extra charge, the online will-making company can also send your will to the National Probate Office for storage.

Fast and Convenient

Writing a will is not mandated by law, but it is recommended that you do so to clear any ambiguities or disputes that may arise after your death about sharing your property. If no will exists, the property will be disposed of according to the law of the land and not your personal preferences.

Online will-making has made drafting wills an easy affair. You can log in from the comfort of your home and spend as much time as you want drafting your will – you are not charged by the hour unlike high-street solicitors! Neither do you have to waste time and money travelling to their offices, taking appointments or negotiating fees.

The online questions offer multiple choices and you can mail the company’s solicitor for clarifications. The website works all days, round the clock, thus giving you a lot of flexibility. If there is any doubt, you can save your will draft and return to it some other time with a fresh mind, and modify it as many times as you want till you are fully satisfied.

You can save a lot by making your will online. The charge ranges from GBP 40 to GBP 60, which is quite competitive compared to what a face-to-face interaction with a solicitor would cost you.

The process of online will-making is fast. Answering automated questions takes just minutes and you can download and print the will at your home or order a professionally bound and printed copy from the company for you to sign and keep.

Article Source: http://www.upublish.info

About the Author:
James Walsh
James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. It is never too early to write a Will and it is essential that you keep it updated if your life circumstances change, for more information see http://www.lifetime-wills.com