Making a Will in Inverness & the Highlands
Advice on all aspects of Wills and Estate Planning in Inverness and the Highlands
Making a Will is one of the most important things you can do to protect your loved ones and your assets. Our Inverness and Highlands Team has a great deal of experience dealing with all issues relating to wills and estate planning and can provide you with expert advice tailored to your circumstances. With offices in Inverness and Thurso, our Team is available to service you in the whole of the Highlands, including Caithness, Moray, Nairn, Ross-shire, Skye, Stornoway, Sutherland and Orkney.
Why should you have a will? Wills not only ensure that your money, property and possessions go to those you wish to benefit, but also allows you to appoint Guardians to look after your young children, leave legacies to charities and make funeral arrangements. Having an up-to-date Will gives your family the security of knowing they have been provided for and gives you peace of mind because you know everything is in order.
Our team can help you with all aspects of making a will and estate administration issues. Wills are not expensive and we offer practical advice ensuring that you take the best course of action for your circumstances. If you would like to find out more about how we could help you plan for the future, please get in touch on 01463 795019 to find out more or to arrange an appointment at our Inverness or Thurso offices.

Frequently asked questions about Wills
A Will is a written document stating what you would like to happen to your estate (this includes property, cash and personal possessions) when you die. You choose the person you want to administer your estate, called an executor and the person or people you want to leave your belongings to, called your beneficiaries. Your Will may also provide information on your domicile, who you want to look after your children and your funeral instructions.
A Will lets you plan who receives what and when. It is a very flexible document and can be tailored to ensure that your final wishes are met. It also allows someone with a large estate to engage in Inheritance Tax planning.
If you die without making a Will, your estate will be distributed in accordance with the rules of intestacy. Under these circumstances, an additional Court process to appoint your executor is required. It is also likely that your estate would have to pay for a compulsory insurance policy known as a Bond of Caution. The current rules of intestacy have remained largely unchanged for 50 years, and have not therefore kept pace with changing family structures. The lack of a Will can cause unnecessary uncertainty, distress and expense for those who are left behind.
Making a Will should not be a lengthy process. One of the biggest myths of all is that making a Will takes a lot of time, energy and money. In reality, all it takes is an hour or two of your time and normally it is a fairly straightforward process.
Whilst it is important to make a Will, it is equally important to regularly review your Will. Changing personal circumstances over time such as divorce, marriage, remarriage and having children are likely to mean that any existing Will you have needs to be updated. By regularly reviewing the terms of your Will, you will be reassured that your estate goes to the person or people that you want to receive it.
Once signed, your Will must be kept in a safe place. At Harper Macleod LLP, clients typically opt to have the original Will stored in our fireproof safe and have a copy sent to them for their records. If you would like to hold the original, however, it is your right to do so.
Our experienced solicitors will be happy to discuss all of the available options to help you make suitable arrangements whilst maintaining your wishes for the future. The key to successful estate planning is not only to start early but to re-visit the plan at regular intervals so as to ensure that your wishes are continually met, no matter what life may throw at you. If further advice on this matter is required, please contact us on 01463 795019.
Contact us
We offer you a variety of ways to get in contact with us to suit you. If you would prefer to talk to someone straight away you can call our offices on:
Glasgow: 0141 227 9344 Inverness & Highlands: 01463 795 035
Edinburgh: 0131 247 2556 Shetland: 01595 695 583
Otherwise use our form below to find out more information, make an appointment or request a call back. We will then find the right person to deal with your enquiry and get back to you as soon as possible.

Samantha was brilliant in advising us how to complete our wills and Power of Attorney. She made the whole process easy. We haven't stopped recommending her services.
HM Client
Overall we were very pleased with the service provided.
HM Client
The Brief Magazine: Inverness, Highlands
The Brief magazine is your guide to personal legal services at Harper Macleod. The magazine aims to keep you in touch with current legal issues that are important to you - the law seldom stays the same for long and we believe that it's important for everyone to be kept advised on the changes that can affect both you and your families.
You can view and download the current edition by clicking here.
We hope you find the magazine useful and informative, and please don't hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team should you have any issues you'd like to discuss further with us.
Other legal services which may be of interest to you in Inverness, Highlands
Inverness Power of Attorney & Guardianships
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Inverness Estate Agents
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Inverness Family Law
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