What happens if any of my beneficiaries die before me? Do I need to make a new will?

The short answer is, not necessarily.  What happens if a beneficiary dies before you depends on who they are and what you have written in your will in the first place.  If one of your children or grand-children (or great grandchildren) dies before you then, in the absence of any other instruction, any gift they would have received gets divided equally among their children - if they have any.  In any other case, unless you have left specific instructions as to what should happen to the beneficiary’s gift if they were no longer alive, the gift will become part of the ‘residuary estate’ which is what is left after all the specified gifts have been distributed.  So it is worth thinking ahead when you make your will if you do want control over where your gifts end up. 

If you have any questions or concerns about making your will then do let me know at timesquestions@anvoner.co.uk and I will do my best to put your mind at rest.