Arranging suitable wills is an important part of financial planning and one that is too often overlooked or not addressed as it seems complicated – but can be much easier to organise than you might think.

Wills are important and if you don’t have one this is something you need to address.

Here are 15 reasons why you need a will:

1. You own a property
2. You have just become a parent
3. You have dependent children
4. You want to choose who would bring up your child(ren) should you both die
5. You don’t want your UAE property to be split per Sharia Law divisions
6. You have got married
7. You have got divorced
8. You have inherited money
9. You have assets
10. You want to make sure your money is left to people of your choice
11. You want to make matters easier for your family if you die
12. You want to make provision for your pets
13. You have inheritance tax concerns
14. You own a business
15. Your last will was written many years ago and your personal situation is now different

I could come up with more reasons but 15 should be enough to convince anyone.

In brief, you write wills because you care about your family and want to protect them

I am sure everyone can tick a few boxes, so why aren’t you getting a will in place?

It’s easier than you think and you don’t even need to leave home to do it.

Without a will, it is far more complex to deal with an estate following death, even more so if assets are held in individual names.

A spouse is not an always an automatic beneficiary of assets, especially in the UAE. Even if a property is jointly owned in the UAE, under Sharia law the surviving spouse is not the main beneficiary of the other half.

Having valid and correct wills in place makes financial matters a little easier for those left behind.

It may not be the most cheerful of topics but it doesn’t need to be complicated and you can arrange it all from home. No need to travel, no need to sit in a lawyer’s office for hours.

I work with a legal practice and we make it all as simple as possible. Our charges are very competitive too.

We arrange UAE and UK wills and can also cover other Commonwealth countries.

Please take a look at these articles for more details including costs:

Where there’s a will there’s a way to protect your family

UAE wills for Muslim expats now available

Full advice and guidance is provided. I also include information on how all assets are treated on death in the UAE or wider GCC as well as in the UK and can cover inheritance tax, gifting, estate planning and much more.

There are likely to be other steps you need to take to protect your family in addition to a will and you’ll get that information too as it all matters.

To arrange a discussion on any aspect of your personal financial planning, please email me at keren@holbornassets.com by clicking on this address or use the contact form

Most meetings take place over Zoom which is great for everyone’s time management and sheer convenience.

NOTE. All information on this website is mine and must not be copied or reused without permission. ©Keren Bobker

I write articles such as this one as part of the holistic personal financial planning service and that I provide to expats in the UAE and wider GCC, and the general consumer, financial and legal information that I provide in The National newspaper, on radio, in other media, and on the Facebook group British Expats Dubai &UAE.

Serious topics, all the facts, friendly conversation.

Please take a look at the other useful articles on this website.