Probate can be a long and lengthy process, depending on the amount of nature of the assets which are to be left to loved ones. However, it can be made considerably easier and faster, with the inclusion of specific detail in the Will.
It is always best to include instructions which your Executors will find easy to follow and can do so quickly. For example, you may have decided that you would like your ashes to be scattered from the cliffs of Mallorca, where you spent your honeymoon – a lovely idea, but one nevertheless which puts both a financial burden and unnecessary pressure on your Executors.
If you would like to leave money to an organisation or an individual who is not well known to the family, then give full and specific contact details including their full name and address. If you keep these details updated, this will reduce the need for extensive research, and help the probate process to tick along at a pace.
Similarly, it is advisable, if you wish to break your possessions down in any great detail, to describe them fully, so that your instructions cannot be misinterpreted. For example “my gold necklace” is not helpful if you have half a dozen or so such pieces.
A suitably renowned and qualified Will writer will be able to guide you on this, and ensure that your instructions are as clear and simple as possible.
