BUSINESS + TECH
A key point to remember is that no one listed in the will as a beneficiary should act as a witness as they’ ll lose their right to their inheritance. They shouldn’ t even be in the room when the will is signed. It’ s also best not to ask an executor to act as a witness, which could suggest conflict of interest. If you can’ t sign your will, it can be signed on your behalf on the proviso that you’ re in the room and personally overseeing the signing. Any will signed on your behalf must contain a clause saying you understood the contents of the will before it was signed.
Updating your will You should review your will every five years or after a major change in your life, such as the birth of a new child / grandchild or moving house. Never make alterations to the original document, however. If you want to make a minor change to your will, you can add a supplement, known as a codicil, which must be signed and witnessed in the same way as the will – although the witnesses don’ t have to be the same as the original ones.
If you want to make a major change, the best course of action is to write a new will and cancel your old one entirely, and, if you marry, remarry or enter a civil partnership, this automatically cancels a previously existing will. Divorce doesn’ t automatically invalidate a will made during the marriage, but it does exclude your ex-spouse or ex-civil partner from benefitting if they’ re mentioned, so the best solution is to make a new will if you marry, separate or divorce.
What happens if you don’ t make a will? If you don’ t make a will, you’ re said to have died intestate – and your estate may not go to the people you want. If you have a partner and you aren’ t married or in a civil partnership, they have no automatic right to inherit from you if you haven’ t made a will – even if you’ ve lived together for a long time or have children.
Intestacy rules decree that if you’ re survived by a spouse or civil partner and children, your spouse or civil partner will inherit all your personal possessions and at least the first £ 270,000 of your estate, plus half of anything above this amount. Your children are then entitled to the other half of this balance. If you’ re survived by a spouse or civil partner but don’ t have children, your spouse or civil partner will inherit your whole estate, including any personal possessions. If you’ re survived by children but not a spouse or civil partner, your children will inherit everything, divided equally between them. If you don’ t have a spouse, civil partner or children, then other relatives inherit in a set order, and if you have no surviving relatives who can inherit, your estate will pass to the Crown. inDEPENDENT BUSINESSES
WITH SPRING HERALDING A CELEBRATION OF NEW BEGINNINGS, WE GET TO KNOW SOME OF KENT’ S NEWEST KIDS ON THE BLOCK WHO ARE ALREADY TAKING THE COUNTY BY STORM WITH THEIR EXCITING STARTUPS.
MANGO HOUSE mango. house. sandwich
Following a move to the heritage town of Sandwich, Nisha Todd and Jack-Henry Witts lovingly decided to open Mango House at the end of May last year to create a beautiful shop that supports fellow independents and artists.“ We had been growing our aromatherapy incense brand, The Golden Altar, and wanted to create a space where we could continue to grow that as well as stock other small independent brands and beautiful products from India,” says Nisha.“ We also added the refillery section so that locals can come and refill their cleaning products- all round good vibes at Mango House!” Jack and Nisha are looking forward to continuing to expand the wholesome community they are building throughout 2025, with new additions of a website and more creative workshops for local crafters, artists and customers to enjoy.
KIDSBURY ROLE PLAY VILLAGES kidsburyplay. com kidsburyplay
With a shared background in the arts and a collective creative imagination, passionate husband and wife team, Sean and Tarragon Turner brought Kidsbury Role Play Villages to the town of Tunbridge Wells last September. A modern take on the role play village, it’ s a beautifully designed space that’ s filled with high-quality wooden toys and aims to help young children learn through imaginative play.“ Our daughter was our real inspiration! She’ s nearly three now and we could see how brilliant role playing was for her development,” says Sean.“ It’ s such a wonderful way to learn and socialise. We took her to a different village and thought Tunbridge Wells needs one of these!” With play zones aimed at teaching different real-world skills and a friendly on-site café serving hot and cold drinks and healthy snacks, Kidsbury is set to be a vibrant addition to the local community, providing memorable experiences for both little ones and their families.
SIP AT THE SIGNAL BOX sipatthesignalbox. co. uk sipatthesignalbox
Launched in February this year on Folkestone’ s buzzing harbour by Brad Cheeseman and Perri Johnson, SIP at the Signal Box serves up award-winning specialty coffee and a variety of savoury eats and sweet treats in a welcoming and historic setting.“ After a successful summer in 2024 launching and running Queso Hombre cheese bar, a small kiosk on the Harbour Arm, the decision to start another hospitality business nearby felt less of a leap and more like a natural step in the right direction,” says Brad.“ The building, the history, the views... What’ s not to like? Add great coffee and some delicious food and we’ re onto a winner.” Having recently opened the outside terrace for customers to enjoy a glass of wine or pre-booked afternoon tea on the old station platform, SIP is excited to introduce‘ after hours’ intimate event nights and options for private hire this coming year.
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