What Is a Mirrored Will?

A mirrored will is a legal document that sees one person in a couple leave their estate and assets to their partner when they pass away. In this blog, we look in more detail at ‘what is a mirrored will?’ and share some key information behind it.

What is a mirrored will?

Put simply, mirror wills are a pair of wills that a couple makes when they want to mirror each other’s wishes. The most common mirror wills are when one spouse leaves everything to their partner. The other spouse’s will is identical, and upon the second death, any children usually inherit the remaining assets.

When should they be written?

If you and your partner both want the same thing in terms of where you would like your assets to go upon your death, you should consider making mirror wills as this is usually cheaper. If you don’t want the same thing, however – for example, you have children from previous marriages and therefore different beneficiaries – you can both make individual wills.

What are the advantages of mirror wills?

There are a number of advantages of getting mirror wills, including:

• You’re providing for your children: While mirror wills typically request for a couple’s estates to be left to each other, should the couple die at the same time, they can include instructions for both estates to be left to any surviving children. Couples who have children under the age of 18 can also appoint a guardian for them.
• Your partner will inherit your estate: A mirror will helps to protect your partner’s financial future. If you’re not married and don’t have a will, they wouldn’t legally be entitled to inherit anything from you.
• It’s possible to name additional executors: Usually, the partners are each other’s executors, but should the couple die at the same time, additional executors should be named so that each partner’s wishes are carried out correctly.

What to bear in mind with a mirrored will

The biggest disadvantage of a mirrored will is that either party is free to change their will at any time. Even though your wishes are identical, the two wills are still separate from each other, so your partner could change theirs without you even knowing. In the event of your death, this also means your partner could remarry and leave your assets to someone else. As such, creating mirrored wills requires a create deal of trust between the two of you.

We hope this blog answered your questions regarding ‘what is a mirrored will?’. Get in touch to arrange a free claim assessment [https://www.willclaim.com/free-claim-assessment] today.