Put simply a Last Will and Testament is a way for you to comunicate your wishes from beyond the grave.

More formally it is a legally enforceable statement of your wishes regarding matters to be attended to after your death and not operative until you have died. It is usually but not always relating to property; revocable (or amendable by means of a codicil) up to the time of his death or loss of mental capacity to make a valid will.

Part of the document specifies who is going to handle the instructions you have left. This person (or persons or company) is known as an Executor.

Another part of your Last Will and Testament tells the executor how to split up your estate (everything you own).

The most important factor that determines whether a Will is legal or not, is the way that it is signed and witnessed. Naturally we include very detailed instructions on how to do this with every Will we produce.

Other features that you may wish to include in a Will (or Last Will and Testament) are specifying guardians for your children - if you have any that are young enough to need guardians.

You can also include details about your funeral.

You may be interested in the following topics ...

• What is an Executor?
• What are Living Wills?