When it comes to making it will, it’s not unusual for the primary focus to be on who is going to inherit your money and your assets.

But a will can actually do much more than just divide up your savings.

It can also help you make important decisions about your family, your home and even your pets, as well as making sure particular possessions go to the people you want them to.

In this article we explore seven things you can deal with in your will that you may not have realised you could.

1. Who should look after your children

If you have children under the age of 18, your will can document who you would want to care for them if you died.

This allows you to appoint a legal guardian – someone you trust to take responsibility for your children if neither parent is able to care for them.

You never want to think about you not being there to look after your children, but putting a plan in place for if the worst does happen, can give you reassurance.

Your will can also set out how you would like assets to be held for your children until they reach a particular age.

2. Who should look after your pets

Your pets are part of the family, but did you ever think about what would happen to them if you unexpectedly passed away?

A will gives you the opportunity to stipulate who you would like to look after your pets and make financial arrangements for their ongoing care.

You may have already spoken to a friend or family member who has agreed to take them. But formalising your wishes in your will helps keep things clear and prevents your family having to make the decision at an already difficult time.

3. Who should receive your personal possessions

A will is not just about property and money.

Other items such as jewellery, family photographs, heirlooms and personal keepsakes can have enormous sentimental value and, unfortunately, can sometimes cause disagreement between family members.

Your will can ensure that your possessions go to the people you want them to go to.

That might be a piece of jewellery you have always intended to give to a grandchild, a collection you want someone to continue enjoying or even an item that you know has special meaning to someone close to you.

It can also include some more unusual items! Research into items inherited by people in the UK uncovered everything from a Victorian trumpet and a stuffed snake to a spade, a single sock and even a set of false teeth.

It is also worth thinking about your digital assets, from online accounts and digital photographs to cryptocurrency and other assets held online. These can easily be overlooked when making a will, but much of what we do and own is now online, so it is important to consider what should happen to them and how they can be accessed after your death.

Being clear about your wishes and detailing them in your will can prevent uncertainty later on.

4. People who would not automatically inherit

There may be people in your life who you consider to be family, but who wouldn’t automatically inherit from you if you died without having a will in place.

A primary example of this is unmarried partners. There is no such thing as a “common law spouse” in relation to inheritance, so it does not matter how long you have lived together, a cohabiting partner does not automatically inherit under the rules of intestacy.

The same problem can also happen with stepchildren.

As the make-up of modern families evolves, they rarely fit neatly into one category and many people treat stepchildren exactly the same as biological or adopted children. However, the rule of intestacy mean that stepchildren do not automatically inherit.

Fortunately, your will allows you to make specific provision for the people who matter to you rather than assuming the law will recognise those relationships.

5. Gifts to friends and charities

It is also possible to include people and organisations outside your immediate family in your will in the form of gifts.

You might want to leave a particular sum of money or possession to a close friend, godchild or another person who has played an important role in your life.

You can also leave money or other assets to a charity or charities that are important to you.

This is a particular advantage to making a will because many of the people or organisations you might personally want to benefit wouldn’t automatically be entitled to your estate without them being explicitly provided for.

6. Who you trust to sort everything out

When someone dies, somebody has to deal with the practical side of things such as contacting banks and other organisations, dealing with property, settling debts, obtaining a Grant of Probate where required and ultimately distributing the estate to the beneficiaries.

When you make a will you can choose the person or people you trust to carry out those responsibilities. They are known as your executors.

Choosing executors is an important decision and estate administration can involve a lot of work and responsibility. Depending on how complicated the estate is you should think carefully about who would be willing and able to take on the role.

If you don’t have a valid will which appoints your chosen executors, you lose the opportunity to make that choice yourself.

7. Your wishes for your funeral

It’s not something we want to have to think about, but your will enables you to document your wishes for your funeral

This may be important if, for example, you have preferences about whether you would like to be buried or cremated, the type of funeral you would like or other personal wishes that matter to you.

Detailing those wishes can provide useful guidance to your family.  It can remove some of the stress and decisions they might have to make, if you haven’t included them in your will, at an already difficult time.

A will is about more than money

Making a will gives you an opportunity to think about what, and who, matters to you.

Your estate will likely comprise of far more than just a home, savings and investments and your wishes regarding what happens to them are important considerations.

You may want to protect a partner who would not otherwise inherit, choose a guardian for your children, make provision for a much-loved pet or ensure treasured possessions go to particular people.

A properly drafted will allows those wishes to be clearly recorded and helps reduce uncertainty for the people you leave behind.

At Ison Harrison, we have a specialist Wills and Probate team who can talk you through the decisions you need to make and help you to prepare a will that reflects your individual circumstances and wishes.

Contact our Wills and Probate team today to discuss making or updating your will. Call 0113 284 5000 or email hello@isonharrison.co.uk.