Including future beneficiaries in your will
By making a will you have the opportunity to ensure that your estate is dealt with and distributed in accordance with your wishes upon your death and to ensure that any children you may have are looked after by those whom you would entrust with their care
Once you have made a will it is important that you ensure that it is kept up to date as it may be that your wishes have changed since you made your will or that a life changing event has taken place since you made your will.
It may, however, be possible for you to make provision for future beneficiaries when you make your will.
Why include future beneficiaries in a will?
Circumstances often change, for example upon the birth of a child, and for that reason you may wish to make provision for unborn children when you make your will.
If you envisage having children of your own after you make your will you may wish for them to be provided for in your will. You may also wish to appoint a guardian to look after any such children in the event that you die before they reach the age of 18.
If you have grown up children you may wish to make provision for any grandchildren that may be born in the future.
How can I include future beneficiaries in my will?
When making a will it is not necessary to specifically name the people whom you would like to inherit your estate. Your will can be drafted in such a way so as to make provision for any children or grandchildren who may survive you to inherit your estate in the event that you die.
When including future beneficiaries in a will it is important that their identity is clear. The descriptions “my surviving children” and “my surviving grandchildren” are sufficiently clear to be understood who is intended to benefit from a will.
Descriptions which are vague or unclear like “my favourite grandchildren” or “any future cohabitee who may survive me” should be avoided as a gift made to such a class of persons will probably be void.
I already have a will but it does not make provision for future beneficiaries. How can I make provision for them?
If you have already made a will and it does not make provision for future beneficiaries and you would like to make provision for such beneficiaries you will need to change your existing will. This can be done either by making a fresh will or by making a codicil.