Wills, Probate & Later Life

Making and Updating a Will

Two adult siblings sitting at opposite ends of a plum-painted dining room, not looking at each other, cool daylight with MUGS of tea NO teapot

Wills, Probate & Later LifeEngland and Wales

Contesting a will: who can challenge it, and on what grounds

Feeling hard done by is not a ground of challenge. The law recognises a short list of specific arguments — and a separate claim for people the estate leaves without reasonable provision.

Law In Life · 3 September 2026

A couple in their forties sitting on the back step of a house with a slate blue door, mugs in hand, looking out at the garden

Wills, Probate & Later LifeEngland and Wales

Getting your affairs in order: the five documents that do the heavy lifting

Estate planning sounds like something for the wealthy. In practice it is five pieces of paper, and most families are missing at least three of them.

Law In Life · 3 September 2026

A woman and her mother sitting at a bright kitchen table, talking over mugs of tea

Wills, Probate & Later LifeEngland and Wales

Do I really need a will? What happens if you die without one

Without a will, the law decides who inherits — and its answer may be nothing like yours. Unmarried partners can be left with no claim at all, while a surviving husband or wife may have to share an estate with children.

Law In Life · 3 September 2026

A group of white, back, asian, mixed race
Active pensioners, not sitting down, they are active but talking together and enjoying life really

Wills, Probate & Later LifeEngland and Wales

Being an executor: Why the role will get harder after 2027 pension reforms

Changes to pension rules coming in 2027 are expected to make the role of executor more complex and burdensome, highlighting the importance of careful estate planning and record-keeping.

3 September 2026