The Velati guide
Plain-English answers to the questions you'll have anyway.
A small, growing library of articles about wills, inheritance, and what the law actually does in England & Wales. Written by the team behind Velati. Reviewed by solicitors. No legalese unless we have to.
01 · The law
Cohabitation rights in the UK: what unmarried couples actually have
If you live together but aren't married, the law treats you as legal strangers when one of you dies. Here's what that means in practice — and the one document that changes it.
Read · 6 min
02 · Signing
How to sign a will under the Wills Act 1837
A will is only as good as its signature. The Wills Act 1837 sets five small rules — and most failed wills fail on one of them. Here is the whole list.
Read · 5 min
03 · Without a will
What happens if you die without a will: the intestacy rules explained
Without a will, the law decides who gets your things. The rules are not malicious, but they are old, and they were not written for the way most of us live now.
Read · 7 min
04 · Roles
What does an executor actually do?
An executor is the person who turns your written wishes into action. The job is unglamorous, sometimes tedious, occasionally emotional — and it matters enormously who you pick.
Read · 6 min
05 · Children
Choosing a guardian for your children: the conversation, then the clause
Most parents we work with put off this decision because it forces them to imagine the unthinkable. The will-writing moment is the right moment to make it.
Read · 7 min
06 · For couples
Mirror wills vs mutual wills: the difference matters
Two wills can look identical and still mean very different things. Here's the distinction that catches couples out, and the one we almost never recommend.
Read · 5 min
07 · Property
What happens to your home when you die
Your home is usually the largest single thing you own. Whether your will controls what happens to it depends on a piece of paperwork most owners have forgotten about.
Read · 6 min
08 · Signing
The five witnessing pitfalls that quietly invalidate wills
Witnessing a will is straightforward when you know the rules. Almost every failure we have seen comes down to one of five small things, all avoidable.
Read · 5 min
09 · The bigger picture
Lasting Power of Attorney vs a will: the difference, plainly
A will and a Lasting Power of Attorney sound similar and are constantly confused. They do entirely different jobs at entirely different moments. Most adults need both.
Read · 6 min
10 · Modern estates
Digital assets in your will: photos, accounts, crypto, devices
Most adults under fifty now hold more value, or more meaning, in digital form than in any single physical possession. A modern will has to cope with that.
Read · 7 min
11 · Considered choices
Leaving money to charity in your will: how it works, and what it costs
About one in six wills in England & Wales now contains a charitable legacy. The rules favour it: charitable gifts are inheritance-tax-exempt, and a 10% legacy can reduce the tax rate on the rest of your estate.
Read · 6 min
When you're ready