Why everyone should make a will

Making a will ensures that our money, property and valuables go to the people we love and want to have them. If you already have a will it may well be out of date or, if you have subsequently married, be void (although this rule does not apply in Scotland).

So reviewing and updating a will is also a good idea.

November is Will Aid month, when solicitors all over the UK will draw up a simple will without taking a fee. Yes, there is a catch – they ask you to make a donation and the money you pay goes to one of Will Aid’s nine charities, such as Age UK, Christian Aid, ActionAid and NSPCC.

Last year it raised more than £1m. The suggested donations are £95 for a basic will and £150 for two wills that basically reflect each other for a couple.

That is a lot cheaper than a solicitor would normally charge. It is so much better than buying a will form from a newsagent or downloading one and filling it in yourself. Every lawyer I have ever talked to about wills says they make more money out of undoing or challenging badly drawn wills than they do from writing good ones.

Solicitors are covered by the Law Society if they make mistakes or get things wrong.

Others who may help you with a will are not. You can find a solicitor who is participating on the Will Aid website and make an appointment. They do get booked up, so do it soon.

Before you go to see them, make a list of your assets and who you want to get them. There is a useful Will Planner on the Will Aid website.

You should also make sure your heirs know where your will is – you can use the National Will Register website to register it so it can always be found. It costs £30 but is widely recommended.

One final reminder for you: MAKE A WILL.

For more information visit willaid.org. uk. You can find the National Will Register at certainty.co.uk