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Estate Planning Guides

Plain-English insights on wills, probate, inheritance tax, and everything in between — written for UK families, not lawyers.

Legal Insights

Can You Write Your Own Will Without a Solicitor? The Honest UK Answer

Yes, you can legally write your own will in the UK without a solicitor. Here's when DIY is genuinely fine, when it's risky, and how the options compare.

·4 min read
Executor Guides

How to Close a Deceased Person's Accounts in the UK (Banks, Utilities & More)

A calm, practical guide to closing a deceased person's bank, utility and other accounts in the UK. What to gather first, the free shortcut for notifying banks, and how to work through the rest one step at a time.

·7 min read
Estate Planning Tips

Is a Will Public After Death in the UK?

In life a will is private. Once probate is granted it becomes public, and anyone can order a copy. That changes what you should put in your will, and what to keep out.

·5 min read
Family Planning

How to Talk to Your Parents About Getting Their Affairs in Order

A gentle, no-pressure way to talk to an older parent about getting organised, without it feeling morbid or like you're after the money. A kind conversation, not a hard one.

·6 min read
Executor Guides

Tell Us Once: What It Does (and What It Doesn't)

Tell Us Once is a free government service that reports a death to most government departments in one go. Here is what it covers, what it leaves to the family, and how to handle the rest calmly.

·7 min read
Estate Planning Tips

What Is a Death Folder — and What Goes in It? (UK Guide)

A death folder is the one place your family can find everything if you die. Here's what goes in it, where to keep it, and how to start one this week.

·5 min read
Executor Guides

What to Do When Someone Dies in the UK: The Complete Admin Checklist

What to do, in order, after a death in the UK: get the medical certificate, register the death, use Tell Us Once, close accounts, find the will, sort probate.

·5 min read
Executor Guides

How to Find Someone's Will After They Die (UK)

How to find or see someone's will after they die in the UK: where wills are usually kept, who to ask, the National Will Register, and GOV.UK's Find a will service.

·7 min read
Inheritance Tax

Pension Inheritance Tax 2027: the '67% Trap' Explained — and Why It's Lower for Most Families

From 6 April 2027, most unused pensions count towards inheritance tax. Here's what the '67% trap' actually means — with the qualifiers the headlines skip — and the paperwork problem it quietly leaves for the families left behind.

·4 min read
Product

How Beqst works — watch or read

A short walk-through of the Beqst estate planner — what it does, how your family will use it when the time comes, and what makes it different from a solicitor will. Watch the short video or read the transcript.

·4 min read
Estate Planning Tips

How to Write a Will in the UK: The 2026 Guide

Everything you need to write a legally valid will in the UK — from the Wills Act rules to costs, common mistakes, and how to keep it up to date.

·9 min read
Executor Guides

What Does an Executor Do? A Plain-English Guide for UK Families

Being named as an executor is an honour — but most people have no idea what it actually involves. Here's a clear, jargon-free breakdown of what executors do in the UK.

·4 min read
IHT & Tax Planning

Inheritance Tax Thresholds in the UK — What You Need to Know in 2026

The nil-rate band, the residence nil-rate band, and how gifting rules affect what your family pays. A plain-English guide to UK inheritance tax.

·4 min read
Estate Planning Tips

The UK Estate Planning Checklist: 7 Things to Sort Before You Write a Will

A will is just the beginning. Here are the 7 things every UK family should have in place — and why getting them right matters more than you think.

·6 min read