An interesting article in The Telegraph recently discussed new legislation which will potentially give Britons with a European holiday home more freedom in terms of how these assets are recorded in their Will.

With recent research suggesting that half of the British public don’t have a Will, there is no doubt that many of us need to consider formally writing down our wishes on how our estate will be dealt with upon our death. However, it is important to remember that while a cheap DIY kit or some scribbled notes could be legally binding, a Will that isn’t professionally drafted substantially increases the chances of it causing problems after your death.

We appreciate that Wills are a personal and highly delicate matter, and not something to become subject to tabloid gossip. However, the Wills of numerous people – from the rich and famous to ordinary members of the public – are now available via the public record and have been subject to public scrutiny and intense interest. The Wills of the rich and famous, including Diana, Princess of Wales, Alan Turing and Winston Churchill, as well as the complicated Wills of ordinary members of the public can all be viewed by the general public.

We recently came across a news article that highlights the importance of seeking trusted, professional advice when it comes to having your Will written. Samuel Eaton posed as a Wills specialist and salesman but has been jailed for swindling vulnerable pensioners out of their cash by selling them fake legal documents and trust deeds. Eaton did this while trading under the guise of The Pensioners' Association and The Senior Citizens' Advice Centre, while his promotional leaflets and business cards implied that he was also connected to the charities Age UK, Macmillan Cancer Support and Sense. During one of his visits, he also played a DVD of a BBC documentary related to Wills and trusts to further convince his victims to part with their cash and add gravitas to his operation. Judge Alan Conrad, QC, commented that Eaton had taken time to choose his specific victims carefully and that he was guilty of "serious offences involving a number of different victims, some particularly vulnerable." The local authorities were alerted to Eaton's acts when the son of one of his victims contacted them after both he and his parents handed over £1,100. When examined, the documents created by Eaton were discovered to be inconsistent, ambiguous and full of errors. Eaton has been sentenced to eight months in jail and has also been fined £3,950. David Birrell, representing the prosecution, said: "It is clear that each of his victims believed that his operations were charitable, rather than commercial ventures. There was a lack of professional diligence on the part of the defendant." Kings Court Trust always recommends that individuals seek professional advice when it comes to preparing your Will, ideally from a firm that is a member of a reputable professional body such as the Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW). In doing so, you can be confident that you are dealing with a firm that abides by a code of conduct and ethics when dealing with customers. For more information, visit www.ipw.org.uk.

Each May, the Dying Matters coalition runs its annual awareness week (www.dyingmatters.org/YODO) to raise the public’s understanding of why planning for the end of your life is so important. There are a huge number of events and online activities taking place throughout the week which are designed to get the public talking about death – which is seemingly still one of the most taboo subjects to discuss!

Blackadder actress Patsy Byrne, who most will know as Nursie in the second series of the show, died in June last year and left over £1.5 million to her five step-daughters – but the interesting nature of this story emerged only recently, as it was revealed that she left around £900,000 solely to her fifth step-daughter for her to distribute between family and friends as she saw fit.

Another week and we have found another story regarding malicious behaviour from an individual in relation to inheritance – this time courtesy of the Plymouth Herald. According to the article, a local councillor has been forced to stand down after admitting to defrauding her own brother – who is also disabled – out of his inheritance.

We’re sure you were as equally shocked as we were to hear about this case today. Stuart Herd’s widowed father, William, remarried at 67. His son Stuart was delighted as he’d feared his father would live out the rest of his days alone, after the death of his wife, Freda, in 1986.

Now this story certainly caught our eye – according to the Leicester Mercury, legal firm Legacy Probate Services have announced that they are to begin offering funerals and will writing services via a popular TV shopping channel based in Peterborough, called Ideal World. The Leicester-based firm will begin offering these services from April this year.