Do i need a Will and/or a Probate Letter?

A Will is the document you write while you are alive to say who should receive your property and who should look after your dependants when you are gone.

A Probate Letter (Letters of Administration) is what a court issues after death so that someone can legally administer an estate. Where there is a valid Will, the executor applies to have it admitted to probate; where there is no Will, the family must apply for Letters of Administration and the law, not you, decides how your estate is shared.

So the honest answer is: you need a Will now, and your family will need probate later. Writing the Will is the part that is entirely within your control, and it is what makes the probate process shorter, cheaper and far less contentious for the people you leave behind.

Create your Will on Owill, add your executor and beneficiaries, upload a written, audio or video version, and download it whenever you need it.