• Make a list of everything that you own, including property, bank accounts, shares and possessions and so on.
• Make a list of any debts, including outstanding mortgage payments, overdrafts and loans.
• Choose the appropriate people to act as your executor/s, who will carry out the instructions in your Will.
• Make a list of the loved ones and organisations that you would like to remember in your Will, and what you would like to leave to each of them.
• Consider any other details that you might like to include, such as naming a guardian for any young children, funeral instructions and care of dependent relatives and/or pets.
• Select a Wills and Probate solicitor via The Law Society in England and Wales (lawsociety.org.uk) or The Law Society of Scotland (lawscot.org.uk). Or contact us about The National Free Wills Network to potentially have your Will written or amended for free .

You can update an existing Will with a simple legal document called a Codicil.

We strongly recommend that you visit a solicitor to make a Codicil, to avoid any legal problems later on. For some people, making a new Will from scratch may be the best way to make changes, especially if there is already a Codicil in existence. To find a local Wills and Probate solicitor, visit lawsociety.org.uk (in England and Wales) or lawscot.org.uk (Scotland).

Our downloadable Legacy pack includes information on making and updating a Will as well as a form for changing your existing Will using a Codicil and a form for the Free Wills Network

You can also consult the National Free Wills Network in the section below.