Will Management Guide

Creating Your First Will

Creating a digital will with Orchard72 is a straightforward process. We'll guide you through each step to ensure your wishes are properly documented. To begin, choose "Create/Update Legal Will" on the Get Started page, or use "Create New Will" under Will Management in the sidebar. Once you have a will in progress, "My Active Wills" appears in the sidebar so you can return to it.

1. Confirm your age and location, then your citizenships and residencies
2. Add your personal details and, if you are married or in a civil partnership, choose between a solo will and mirror wills with your partner
3. Name guardians for anyone who depends on you
4. List your assets and liabilities, then decide who receives what, including any specific gifts
5. Record optional video messages and set out your funeral wishes
6. Appoint executors and write your letter of wishes
7. Arrange your witnesses, then add your identification and final notes
8. Review your draft and, if you would like one, choose a legal professional

Some steps only appear when they apply to you, for example the guardians step when you have dependants, the family tree step, and the business succession step.

Managing Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries are the people or organisations who will inherit your assets. It's important to keep their information accurate and up to date.

• Add multiple beneficiaries with specific inheritance percentages
• Name an alternative beneficiary, shown as a backup beneficiary in the glossary, in case a primary beneficiary cannot inherit
• Specify different beneficiaries for different assets
• Update beneficiary information when their circumstances change
• Add charitable organisations as beneficiaries if desired

Appointing Executors

Executors are responsible for carrying out your wishes and managing your estate after you pass away. Choose trustworthy individuals who are capable of handling this responsibility.

• Appoint at least one primary executor. You can skip this section, in which case a court appoints an administrator instead
• Add reserve executors in case a primary executor cannot serve
• Consider the executor's age and health
• Discuss the role with them before appointing
• You can appoint professional executors (lawyers, accountants)

Executors will have access to your will and instructions after your passing, so choose people you trust completely.

Key People in Your Will

• Choose someone responsible and organised
• Consider appointing reserve executors
• Discuss the role with them first
• An executor can be an individual or a company or firm, such as a solicitor or a bank

• Family members (spouse, children, parents, siblings)
• Close friends
• Charitable organisations
• Educational or religious institutions

Children and Guardianship

Points many parents weigh when they think about who to name:

• Their values and parenting style
• Whether they have the financial resources
• Whether your children know and trust them
• Whether they have agreed to the responsibility
• Whether to name a substitute guardian as well

For each child you can also say where you would like them to live: staying in their current home and school where possible, moving to live with their guardian, or leaving it to the guardian to decide. Your will records this as a wish rather than an instruction, so the guardian can still act in your child's best interests.

Relationships and Legal Considerations

Legal and Financial Terms

Common Consequences of Dying Without a Will

• Your jurisdiction's intestacy rules decide who inherits, based on preset formulas
• Your unmarried partner may receive nothing
• The court appoints guardians for minor children
• Family disputes may arise over asset distribution
• The process takes longer and costs more
• Some assets may go to distant relatives or even the government

Rules of Intestacy by Country

Every country has different rules about how estates are distributed when someone dies without a will. These rules consider factors like:

• Your marital status
• Whether you have children
• If your parents are still living
• The existence of siblings or other relatives
• The type and location of your assets

Understanding these rules can help you see why having a will is crucial for ensuring your wishes are followed.