Have you got a will in place? Any advice?

[BramleyMoore]

Married with two teen kids and really need to make a joint will as we currently have nothing in place.
Did you get specialist legal advice, and is your will simple or more complex?
We have a mortgaged house with modest savings, so a pretty ordinary situation.
I'm finding it a bit daunting to be honest, but I need to pull my finger out and get it done!

Can I ask what anyone has done about kids who are younger than 18 at time of will writing, if you are a single parent with no one obvious you can leave them with? (Their dad is around but difficult relationship)

Use a solicitor.
Bear in mind that if you die leaving all to husband, he might re-marry & leave all to wife no2. Children thence get nothing. This happened in my extended family. It was heart breaking. $hit happens. Take advice.

Look into an LPA for finances. Similar for health. Solicitors charge a fortune but if you don’t mind form filling… it’s easy to do. I did my mum’s & my own.

Pay for a funeral plan. Research this by walking into 3 or 4 Directors for a chat. That’s what I did. Ended up with a plan via the first one I visited. One phone call from your executor(s) to the Director when you die & they arrange everything. The schemes are now regulated by the FCA regulator but double check before you buy.

We don't have one yet, it's on our "to-do" list and I'd definitely recommend getting a solicitor or other legally qualified professional to do it. We are a bit paralysed with indecision as our finances are complex (dual citizenship, family and investments in another country, stepchildren involved and no idea who'd be guardians for our dcs). So have kept putting it off. If your situation is straightforward and you know what you'd want the will to say, you can just get on with it and it should be fairly quick.

We looked into getting LPAs but we don't have anyone appropriate to be a certificate provider so we have left it.

If your getting wills done then I would get POA done too. They are probably more important given that you are married and there are no complicating factors.