Expert lawyer explains how to make your Will watertight and ensure that your wishes are met
| Published date | 21 February 2023 |
| Publication title | Manchester Evening News: Web Edition Articles (England) |
The process of constructing a Will that will be difficult to challenge or set aside is often complex, which makes expert legal advice essential. The team at Manchester-based law firm, Slater Heelis, which is celebrating its 250th birthday this year, has been providing legal guidance in this area of the law for centuries, and are widely considered to be experts, with other law practitioners referring clients to them due to their vast experience in the multi-faceted legal field.
Slater Heelis aims to ensure that the risk of someone disputing a client's Will is substantially reduced and should someone be faced with the difficulty of a Will being contested, the firm is also dedicated to helping those clients achieve their goal in a cost-effective way.
We spoke with John Gorner, Consultant Solicitor at Slater Heelis, and specialist litigation lawyer, to find out his advice regarding wills and probate, and what we can do to avoid problems.
Firstly, John advised that it is useful to review your Will at major pivotal moments in your life -for example, if you get married, move house, get a divorce, go into a care home, if you get sick, or if someone close to you passes away -so that it is up-to-date, suitable for your circumstances and fit for purpose.
John explained that the first step in making sure the Will is robust and stands the best chance of being upheld, is ensuring that it is watertight from the outset. The key to this is getting legal advice from a specialist firm -do not even think about making your own Will, and consult an experienced solicitor -preferably one with a firm such as Slater Heelis -that has experience in challenging and defending Wills as well as drafting them.
The next crucial step is for you to be clear and open with the solicitor you instruct, so that they are fully informed as to the family background, what your wishes are, the reasoning behind those wishes, and the nature and scope of your assets. A lack of openness and candour with your solicitor is not advisable.
The solicitor drafting the Will has several options that...
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