This Update Your Will Week (2nd – 8th March 2026), we are proud to support The Association of Lifetime Lawyers in raising awareness about the importance of both making a will and keeping it up to date when your personal circumstances change.
A will is far more than just a legal document. It captures your wishes, protects the people you love, and safeguards the legacy you want to leave behind. Yet for many people, it was written years ago, long before life looked the way it does today.
At Slater Heelis, our Wills and Probate solicitors in Manchester, Sale and Chester work with people every day who assumed their affairs were in order, only to discover their will no longer reflected their wishes. We believe in giving straightforward, practical advice — and that starts with asking a simple question: when did you last look at your will?
Why having a will matters
Without a valid will in place, the law decides what happens to your estate, not you. This is known as the intestacy rules, and the outcome may be nothing like what you would have chosen.
Unmarried partners have no automatic right to inherit under intestacy rules, regardless of how long they have been together. Stepchildren are not automatically included. And without clear instructions, even the most straightforward estates can end up tied up in delay and disagreement at an already difficult time.
A will gives you control over who inherits your money, property and possessions, who you appoint as guardian for any children under 18, who acts as your executor, and whether you want to leave gifts to charity or make arrangements for pets.
If you do not yet have a will and you live or work in the Manchester, Sale or Chester area, it is worth speaking to a solicitor sooner rather than later. The process is more straightforward than many people expect.
Why updating your will matters just as much
Making a will is an important step, but it is not something you do once and forget about. Life changes — sometimes quickly — and your will needs to keep pace with those changes.
If your will is out of date, you risk your estate being distributed in a way that no longer reflects your wishes, loved ones being left out or under protected, unnecessary disputes at an already difficult time, and inheritance tax planning opportunities being missed.
Your will should be treated as a living document. Reviewing it regularly is not an extra step, it’s part of taking proper care of the people who matter to you.
When should you update your will?
It is good practice to review your will every five years, but certain life events should prompt you to act sooner.
- Getting married or entering a civil partnership
In England and Wales, getting married or entering a civil partnership automatically revokes any existing will. If you have not made a new will since your wedding day, your current will is no longer valid unless you have stated that the will has been made in contemplation of marriage. - Getting divorced or dissolving a civil partnership
Divorce does not automatically revoke a will, but it does affect it. Any gifts or appointments made to a former spouse will typically lapse, so your will may no longer do what you intend. - Becoming a parent or grandparent
Children born or adopted after your will was written will not be automatically included. This is particularly important when it comes to appointing guardians for children under 18. - A change in your financial situation or property
Buying a home — whether in Manchester, Sale, Chester or elsewhere — or receiving an inheritance can substantially change the value of your estate. Your will should reflect your current position, and there may be inheritance tax planning steps worth considering at the same time. - Losing a beneficiary or executor
If someone named in your will has died, you will need to update it — whether they were a beneficiary, guardian or executor. - Starting or selling a business
Business ownership brings its own estate planning considerations. Your will should address what happens to your interest in the business, which often links closely to wider succession planning. - A beneficiary or yourself obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate
This can affect certain provisions in a will and should be reviewed with a solicitor. - Your relationships change
If there is someone in your will you would no longer want to benefit from your estate — or someone you now want to include — your will needs to be updated accordingly.
What does making or reviewing a will involve?
If you are unsure whether your will needs updating, a conversation with one of our Wills and Probate solicitors is a sensible place to start. We will look at your existing will and talk through any changes in your circumstances to advise whether it still does what you need it to.
The process is straightforward. It begins with a conversation about your wishes, we then draft a clear, legally valid will and guide you through signing it correctly. Once everything is in place, we store your will safely at no extra charge.
For those with more complex circumstances, our team can also advise on inheritance tax planning, lasting powers of attorney, trusts, estate planning and asset protection — all of which can sit alongside your will to give you and your family proper, joined-up protection.
Speak to our Wills and Probate team
We are proper solicitors, not a will writing company. Our team in Manchester, Sale and Chester handles everything from straightforward wills to more complex arrangements involving trusts, blended families or business interests.
Whatever your situation, we take the time to understand it properly and give you advice that is relevant to you.
If it has been more than five years since you last looked at your will — or you do not have one yet — now is the time to do something about it.
Get In Touch
Charlotte Otton is an Accredited Lifetime Lawyer, this means she has undergone specialist training and assessment to support older and vulnerable clients. Lifetime Lawyers are experts in later-life planning and can help ensure your arrangements are legally robust, fair, and tailored to your family’s unique needs.
If you would like to speak with Charlotte or another member of our Wills and Probate team about the above topic, or any other related subject, please call 0330 111 3131 or fill out our online contact form.
