Who will look after my children if I die?

A Will is where parents formally record their wishes about guardianship. If both parents die, this helps guide decisions and avoids unnecessary uncertainty at an already difficult time. You can name more than one Guardian, including a primary Guardian and a substitute Guardian if the first is unable or unwilling to act. Planning this in advance means you, not the courts, are setting out what you believe is best for your children.

How does a Will protect unmarried partners, step-children and chosen family?

A common misconception is that a “common law” partner will automatically inherit if the other partner dies. In England and Wales, common law marriage does not exist. Without a Will, an unmarried partner can be treated very differently to a spouse, regardless of how long you have shared a life, a home, or a Netflix account. Step-children and chosen family are also not automatically recognised if there is no Will in place. The law that governs Wills dates back to 1837 and was not designed with modern families in mind. Writing a Will is how you move away from outdated defaults and make clear decisions that reflect your real life and relationships.

Who inherits what under my Will?

A Will is about more than who inherits. It is also about who does not. From treasured heirlooms to your first property, your Will lets you be clear about what goes where, and why. That clarity helps prevent misunderstandings, protect relationships, and stop outdated default rules from stepping in where they do not belong.

Can I include funeral wishes in my Will?

Including funeral preferences in your Will can take pressure off the people you leave behind. It means fewer debates, less second-guessing, and no one having to say, “I think this is what they would have wanted.” While funeral wishes are not legally binding, recording them clearly gives guidance at a difficult moment and helps those closest to you make decisions with confidence.

How can a Will help plan for life’s curveballs?

Protecting assets is not about mistrust. It is about planning ahead. A Will can help future-proof inheritances from life’s curveballs, whether that is divorce, financial instability, or a few questionable choices along the way. Setting clear terms gives you more control over how and when assets are passed on.

Do I need a Will if I don’t have much money?

Wills are not about being wealthy. They are about making clear decisions, especially if you have children, a partner, or shared responsibilities. For many parents, guardianship alone is reason enough to write a Will. It is also a gift to leave behind clarity instead of stress at an already difficult time.

What happens if I die without a Will?

Even close families can end up stressed and uncertain when there is no Will. Probate is a marathon, not a sprint, and without a Will there is no automatic right to step in or make decisions. A Will removes guesswork, reduces the risk of disagreement, and helps things move forward more smoothly. It is a kindness, not a drama.

Can I wait to write a Will?

Life rarely gives advance warning. Accidents happen, and “later” is not guaranteed. The moment you have something you love is the moment you need to protect it. Writing a Will now means you can make clear decisions while things are calm, and update it as life changes.

Is writing a Will morbid?

Writing a Will is not about dwelling on death. It is about protecting the people, places, and things you love. We approach it as a thoughtful, life-affirming process, always sensitive to the emotional weight involved. For most people, the relief when it is done is real, giving them the freedom to get back to the things they enjoy in life.

From Entertainment Exec to Will-writer

My Story

I didn't plan to write Wills for a living. For more than twenty years I worked in entertainment, first in front of the camera, then behind it. I was part of the founding team that scaled Moonbug Entertainment, working on children's brands including CoComelon, Blippi and Little Baby Bum, before the company's reported three billion dollar sale.

Then, in 2023, two things happened at once. I was made redundant, and I found out I was pregnant with my second child. It felt like the ground had gone from under me. I could go back to the corporate grind, or I could build something of my own. I chose to build.

“Why was no one speaking my language at the point in my life when I needed it most?”

The Moment It Clicked

Not long after, a chance conversation with a Will writer stopped me cold. He told me that if parents die without a Will, their young children can become the responsibility of the courts.

No one had ever said this to me. I had just had a baby. I'd been given advice on feeding, on sleep, on every small worry going. Not one person had mentioned the single decision that would determine who raised my children if the worst happened.

That decision is guardianship.

It is one of the most important reasons any parent makes a Will, and most of us never realise it until someone says it out loud. Will writers need to be at mums' groups as well as nursing homes.

Why was no one speaking my language at the point in my life when I needed it most?

I decided I needed to be that person. I trained at the College of Will Writing and qualified through the Society of Will Writers when I was two months postpartum. I wrote my first Will on the sofa with a sleeping newborn on my chest.

What My Clients Taught Me

Once I started seeing clients, something shifted. I had trained to handle the legal side, the assets, the paperwork, the practical protection. But sitting with people as they talked through their lives, I kept noticing how much more there was to them.

A Will moves your assets. It does not capture who you were. It holds the house and the savings, but not the voice, the stories, the way someone made a room feel. And that, I realised, is the part people are most frightened of losing.

I have always been obsessed with stories and legacy. With how we are remembered after we are gone, and what gets lost when nobody takes the time to capture it.

“A Will protects what you have. It does not capture who you were. So I am building both.”

The Other Side of AWAY Wills

My grandparents helped raise me. They lived with us, their granny flat reached through an innocuous cupboard in our hallway. A real-life Narnia.

We never have enough time with the people we love. I desperately wish I could sit with them now, as an adult, and ask all the questions I didn't know to ask as a child. About their childhoods. Their careers. Their lives. All of it.

That yearning is how LORE came to be.

LORE is an app I am building to help people capture their emotional legacy in one place. Stories, photos, voices, memories. Something to pass down to your children, and to theirs. We are currently raising under SEIS to turn this dream into a reality.

This is the other half of the same idea.

With AWAY Wills, I write legally valid Wills for families across England and Wales, in plain English, built around how modern families actually live. That is the practical protection. The part that makes sure the people you love are looked after. With LORE, I am building the part that holds everything a Will cannot. The memories, the meaning, and the person behind the document.