A recent report shows that 40% of people who have made a Will drafted it themselves rather than instructing a solicitor to do it for them. This is unfortunately causing a wide range of issues for executors when they are trying to understand what the Will says and to locate the beneficiaries to distribute the estate when there is missing information.

It is important to ensure that when your Will needs to be acted upon in the future, your executors will be able to understand, and carry out your wishes.

We are instructed in a case which highlights this problem in that we have been unable to locate a beneficiary. In this case, there was no address provided in the (old) Will and the executors and other beneficiaries are unaware of the beneficiary’s identity. Tracing agents have also drawn a blank from the information available.

Unsurprisingly, this has led to additional expense and problems with distributing the estate in accordance with the Will.

To avoid such problems, provide as much information as possible in your Will to help your executors track down your beneficiaries, especially if they are not family members. It is often helpful to include up-to-date addresses and descriptions of your relationship with the person you wish to benefit.

You should also remember to review your Will throughout your lifetime; and ideally keep the up-to-date names and address details of your beneficiaries with the Will.

We recommend that your Will be professionally drafted to ensure that it clearly expresses who you want to inherit your money, property and personal possessions, and in what proportions.