Bloodline Will Solicitors Brighton and Hove

While bloodline wills may sound like they are reserved for royalty or the aristocracy, in reality they have very practical, everyday uses. Bloodline wills seek to protect your estate so it is only distributed to your blood relatives. Our will solicitors in Brighton and Hove can draft bloodline wills to protect your family and assets.

What Is a Bloodline Will?

Bloodline wills aim to protect your assets falling into the wrong hands when they are handed down to your children. They are typically reserved to protect clients’ children from their spouses inheriting your estate, especially if you believe your child’s spouse may not be the most suitable beneficiary because:

• they are untrustworthy or unreliable, or divorce is imminent
• they have children from a previous marriage who you do not want to inherit from your estate
• they are a substance abuser
• you feel they are exploiting your child
• they cannot manage money or have gambling issues
• you simply do not like them or any other substantial reason

Bloodline wills are achieved through the use of bloodline trusts, and are almost always accompanied by a letter of wishes, which guides the executor of your will on your personal wishes. Ultimately, bloodline wills keep your assets ‘in the family’ and ensure your children, grandchildren, and potentially even their children benefit from your will.

Why Use a Will Solicitor for a Bloodline Will?

As bloodline wills include bloodline trusts, will solicitors are almost always involved in their drafting. This is because without a bloodline trust, there is a risk that your estate will go to your child’s spouse either through a will of their making, or if they divorce, even if that is against your wishes. A son or daughter-in-law could reasonably inherit from your child, and subsequently disinherit any of your grandchildren in their will, in favour of their children from previous marriages. Our will solicitors can help draft a watertight bloodline will to prevent this happening.

What Advantages Are There To Bloodline Trusts in your Bloodline Will?

Trusts are a useful tool that set out stipulations trustees must follow. Bloodline trusts are particularly useful when drafting bloodline wills because they can set out:

• Whether assets are released to beneficiaries on a discretionary basis, and therefore protected from any divorce financial consent orders
• That only blood relatives may benefit from the trust, such as children and grandchildren but not their partners
• To appoint your child as trustee
• Exactly where the remainder of the trust goes, if any, should your child be the trustee and die intestate

In the event of divorce, a child appointed as trustee of a bloodline trust may choose to appoint a successor trustee and resign from their role in order to protect their financial position, and from drawing the trust into being included in the divorce, or any other financial settlement. They can then subsequently be re-appointed as trustee.

How Much Do Bloodline Wills Cost? 

Bloodline wills and bloodline trusts can be included in a standard will, depending on how complicated the other parts of the will are. We charge from £400 plus VAT for a standard will. Depending on whether or not a letter of wishes is included, fees may vary.