You can decide who inherits your estate upon your death. If you do not leave a Will, then your property will be left to your closest relatives, according to the Intestacy Rules. If you are married and in the process of getting divorced, this means that your children (if any) may not inherit your estate. Your husband/wife would be left your entire estate.

You choose your Executors, who are the persons responsible for administering your estate in accordance with your wishes, as set out by your Will. If there is no Will, then "Administrators" will be appointed according to the Intestacy Rules and the person who you might least like to administer your estate, may well be the person appointed.

If you have children, you can appoint Guardians for them in your Will. These are the people who will take care of your children, should both parents die before the children reach the age of eighteen.

If you are in the process of going through a divorce, it is imperative that you have a Will, or update your Will, to protect your children and also to protect other members of your family. You will need to decide to whom your property will be given to, should you die before the divorce becomes finalised. However, it is important that everybody makes a Will, to ensure that the people they choose benefit from their estate upon their death. This is not always a member of the family. It could be a close friend or co-habitee. If you die without leaving any family, your estate could go to the Crown.

You may be surprised to learn that your estate could be affected by Inheritance Tax. It is possible to incorporate some tax saving devices in your Will.