When to update your will? – key life events in private client practice

Set against the backdrop of Free Wills Month and Update Your Will Week (March 2026), this one-hour pre-recorded webinar explores when and why a Will or Lasting Power of Attorney should be reviewed and updated.

Drawing on current statistics, trends, and practical experience, the webinar examines the impact of key life events—such as marriage or civil partnership, separation, divorce, remarriage, and having children—on succession and estate planning. It highlights the risks of outdated or inappropriate arrangements, the legal consequences for families and assets on death, and the value of professional advice.

Participants will leave better equipped to identify critical review points and to confidently discuss estate planning issues with clients at major life changes.

Topics covered include:

• Current position: on making a will and lasting power of attorney
• Influencing factors
• When should a will (and lasting power of attorney) be updated:
  • Impact of marriage
  • During separation and divorce
  • On re-marriage
  • On having children
  • Other key life events?
• Impact on death:
  • To minor children
  • Other children
  • Family home and assets
• Considering the differing legal rights afforded between cohabitees and those in a marriage/civil partnership.
• Importance of making a will where cohabiting, step-children, wish to leave a legacy to a charity, complex family structure/dynamics.
• Considerations with homemade wills and/or lasting power of attorneys.
• Practical tips for when clients have made a will or lasting power of attorney.
• Lasting Power of Attorneys and Deputies in the Court of Protection.
• Trends in 2025, 2026, and beyond.