Re: how to write a will?
For a will to be legally valid, the following rules apply:
" The will must be in writing
" You must be over 18 or have been or be married
" You must be of sound mind
" You must sign or mark the will or acknowledge the signature or mark in the presence of two witnesses.
" Your two witnesses must sign the will in your presence
" Your two witnesses cannot be people who will gain from your will and they must be present with you at the same time for their attestation to be valid
" Your two witnesses must sign the will in your presence
" Your witnesses must see you sign the will but they do not have to see what is written in it.
" The signature or mark must be at the end of the will.
These are legal requirements and if they any of them are not met, the will is not valid. If you want to change your will after you make it, you can add a codicil (amendment or change) to your will; this codicil must meet the same requirements set out above.
You do not have to have your will in any set format. However, it is important that the will has the following:
" Your name and address
" A statement that says you revoke or disown all earlier wills or codicils, such as "I hereby revoke all former wills and testamentary instruments made by me and declare this to be my last will and testament".
" A clause or section of your will that appoints one or more executors, or people who will carry out your wishes in your will after you die, and stating these executors' names and addresses.
" A residuary clause, which is a section in your will that sets out how property not effectively dealt with in the will should be distributed. This is important because specific bequests, such as "I leave x.. to Sean Murphy" can fail (be considered invalid), and then revert to the residue to be decided by this residuary clause. Your residuary clause could say that anything not covered in your will would be a gift or legacy to someone, like "The remainder of my estate I leave to my daughter, Mary".
" Your will should be dated and signed by you and your witnesses. Usually, these signatures are underneath a line in the will that states "Signed by the testator in the presence of us and by us in the presence of the testator". This statement is called "an attestation clause". An attestation clause is not a formal requirement of a valid
will, but it is advisable to include it in your will as it constitutes evidence that your will has been validly executed.
By the way, there's no charge for the above advise as I'm not a solicitor!