Throughout my working life in the Private Client Sector, I have noticed so many instances where people have been advised one way or another to include a trust in their will and/or set up a trust fund either to mitigate Inheritance Tax or potential future fees. Whilst this can sometimes be beneficial, it depends on the individuals and their assets and more often than not putting your estate into trust can make things worse.

Some things in life are uncertain, but death will affect all of us at some point. Whether it be a friend, family member or our own. We need to think about what happens to our assets when we pass. When someone passes away without a valid will, their estate will be distributed according to the rules of intestacy.

Holden Smith has appointed Andy Norton as head of private client.

If you are named in someone's Will as an executor, you may have to apply for probate: a legal document that gives you the authority to share out the estate of the person who has died.

If you decide to buy a house in unequal shares, using a solicitor to draw up a Declaration of Trust is a sensible idea to help protect both parties if things don’t turn out as planned.

We asked Holden Smith Wills & Probate specialist, Dominic Cronshaw, to answer these quick-fire questions about making a Will and how to do it.

Ensuring you’ve made a will can save many complications for your loved ones at a time that is already filled with emotion and stress, if and when you pass away.

The Holden Smith team have shared our advice and answered some of the most frequently asked questions about making a will.

How do you know if you are a beneficiary of a will? Will it cost you to be a beneficiary? And what happens if someone dies without making a will? We catch up with our Head of Wills and Probate, to find out.