Are your children ready to inherit?
Last verified 13th November 2025 — England and Wales.
Why their Will matters as much as yours
“You’ve helped us sort our Wills. I feel better already. But I keep thinking… if something happened to us, are the children actually ready for what they’d inherit?”
That is the missing question in many estate plans.
Most people focus on their own Will: who gets what, who looks after the children, who deals with the paperwork. Very few stop to ask whether their children – or other beneficiaries – are actually prepared to receive what they’re leaving.[Call-out] When you sign your Will, one of the best gifts you can give your children is to nudge them to get their own Wills and LPAs in place, so your planning actually works when the money lands.
This article looks at what goes wrong when beneficiaries aren’t prepared, and how you can quietly put some protections in place for the people you care about most.
What goes wrong when beneficiaries aren’t
A lump sum feels exciting and reassuring. It can also be overwhelming.
When a beneficiary isn’t prepared, several things tend to happen at once.
They make emotional decisions, not financial ones.
Grief, relief, guilt, and family pressure can prompt people into impulsive decisions, such as making big purchases, “helping out” relatives, paying off the wrong debts first, or holding onto a property that is too expensive to maintain.
Their own affairs are in a mess.
If they don’t have a Will, no guardianship arrangements for their children, and no powers of attorney, your gift drops into the middle of that chaos. It may end up with the wrong person if something happens to them, or become entangled in their relationship and financial problems.
Existing risks get amplified.
If a child is in a shaky relationship, self-employed with erratic income, or already stressed by debt, a sudden inheritance can make things worse rather than better.
Family tensions flare up.
Old resentments and assumptions can surface quickly: “Mum always helped you more.” “Why did you get the house?” Without clear paperwork and clear communication, money can damage relationships that were already under strain after a death.
All of this can happen even when your own Will is beautifully drafted.
Why your Will is the perfect moment to get them sorted
Every inheritance is a significant life event. Major life events are classic times to create or review a Will.
You are already doing the hard thinking:
• Who needs security?
• How much is realistic to leave?
• Who would you trust to act for you?
That makes it the perfect moment to ask a follow-on question:
“If something happened to my child after they inherit, where would this money actually go next?”
If the honest answer is “I’ve no idea” or “probably to an ex-partner I don’t even like”, that is a planning gap you can close.
You do not need to control their decisions. What you can do is:
• Give them clarity about what you are likely to leave and why.
• Encourage them to create or update their own Will.
• Encourage them to put practical protections in place for your grandchildren and anyone else who depends on them.
• Offer a neutral, professional route for them to do it, rather than a parent–child argument around the kitchen table.
An up-to-date Will for your adult child can be as important to your grandchildren’s security as the Will you write for yourself.
“We’re thinking about the seven-year rule. Is there a better way to help?”
People often discuss “spending down” their money or making gifts during their lifetime, especially around the seven-year rule for inheritance tax. Significant gifts can make sense in the right circumstances, but they are not the only way – and they are not always the most practical.
One efficient, often overlooked use of money is to pay for good planning for the next generation.
For example, instead of (or as well as) giving a significant cash gift to an adult child, you might:
• Pay for a professionally drafted Will for them and their partner, so guardianship, money management, and a clear plan for your grandchildren are all in place.
• Help them put Lasting Powers of Attorney in place, so somebody they trust can step in if they are ever seriously unwell or injured.
• Encourage them to review any life insurance, pensions and death-in-service benefits so the right people are named and the paperwork matches their Will.
The cost of doing this is usually modest compared to the value of what you are leaving behind. Yet the impact can be enormous: it means that if something happens to your child, your grandchildren are not left in limbo or relying on default intestacy rules.
Turning a small part of your estate into Wills, guardianship and LPAs for your children may protect your grandchildren far more than another lump-sum gift.
Practical steps you can take now
Here are some simple, concrete steps you can take while you are sorting your own Will.
Talk about the principle, not the pound signs.
You do not have to reveal exact figures if you do not want to. You can say: “When something does one day come to you from us, we’d like to know you’ve got a Will and some basics in place so it actually does what we intend for you and the children.”
Offer support, not pressure.
Adult children often resist being “told what to do”. It usually works better to say: “If you’d like to get your Wills sorted, we’re happy to help pay for it, and we know someone who can guide you through it.”
Use your own Will appointment as a trigger.
When you sign your Will, that is a natural time to say: “We’ve finally done ours. It would be a big weight off our minds if you and [partner] did yours too.”
Decide what you are willing to fund
You might decide you are prepared to pay for each child’s first Will, a pair of Wills for a couple, or a package that includes Wills and LPAs. The important thing is that everyone is clear about what you are offering.
Accept that not everyone will take it up.
You cannot force someone to plan. What you can do is make it easy and normal to do the right thing – and remove some of the cost and friction in getting started.
What about your own parents?
So far, we have looked at your children and other people who might one day inherit from you. The same logic applies in reverse.
If you are sorting out your own Will, it is also a good time to ask (gently) whether your own parents have an up-to-date Will and LPAs. If they do not, you and your children may be the ones dealing with intestacy, uncertainty and avoidable stress when something happens to them.
You do not need to interrogate them about money. A simple conversation, such as “We’ve just done our Wills and LPAs. Have you sorted yours recently?” can open the door. If they are willing, you may even decide to help them with the cost or introduce them to a professional you trust.
The same planning that protects your children when you die can also protect you and your children when your parents die.
Cases: when a child’s Will makes all the difference
Here are some realistic examples of how your beneficiaries’ planning – or lack thereof – can impact outcomes.
The sudden death with no Will
Emma inherits £150,000 from her mother. She means to write a Will “once things calm down”, but never quite gets around to it. Two years later, she dies unexpectedly.
Without a plan, intestacy rules decide where the money goes. Her long-term partner is not adequately provided for, and there is confusion about who should manage funds for the young children.
With careful planning, Emma had a simple Will in place, appointing guardians and trustees, and outlining how the inheritance should be used for the children. The money is managed by people she trusts, with clear instructions, and the partner is adequately protected.
The shaky relationship
Tom inherits £100,000 while in a relationship that has already had a few serious bumps in the road.
Without planning, the money is mixed straight into the joint account and used for a new car and home improvements. When the relationship breaks down later, there is a bitter dispute about “who owns what”. Effectively, part of Tom’s inheritance is lost.
With planning, Tom has a Will and some basic advice. He keeps the inheritance clearly separate, and there is a clear plan for what happens to it if he dies while still in that relationship. If things do end, there is a cleaner starting point for untangling finances.
The overwhelmed parent
Sarah is a single parent with a demanding job. She inherits a house share and some savings from her father.
Without planning, she is overwhelmed by paperwork and leaves everything in her own name, with no guardianship arrangements in place for the children. If something happens to her, relatives are left guessing about her wishes and how to use the funds for the children.
With planning: As part of receiving the inheritance, she is encouraged to create a Will appointing guardians and outlining how the assets should support the children’s upbringing. Everyone knows who is responsible for what.
The generous sibling
Michael inherits from his parents and immediately starts “helping out” siblings with informal loans and gifts.
Without planning: Nothing is written down. Years later, when he becomes ill, his own children cannot work out what was gifted, what was a loan, and what should still be part of his estate. Family relationships strain under the confusion.
With planning, Michael has a Will and keeps a simple record of what he has given or lent, which he reviews at the same time as his Will. There is a clear picture for his executors, with less room for argument.
The seven-year gift that does more than save tax
Helen and David are told they can give money away now and survive for seven years to reduce a potential inheritance tax bill. They like the idea but worry about simply handing over large lump sums.
Without planning, they gift cash to their adult children with no guidance. Some use it well; others drift, spend, or feel pressured by partners and friends. Nothing is put in place for the grandchildren.
With planning, Helen and David still choose to gift, but decide that part of each gift will be used to cover the costs of proper planning. They fund Wills and guardianship for each child (and their partners) and help them put LPAs in place. Their children still receive money, but their grandchildren gain something far more practical: clear guardianship, money managed by people the parents trust, and a reduced risk of the inheritance drifting to the wrong hands in the next generation.
The parents who never got around to it
James and Nikki are in their forties. They finally get around to writing their Wills and LPAs, mainly to protect their own children. During the process, they realise James’s parents, now in their seventies, have never made a Will.
Without planning: When James’s father dies suddenly, everything is left to his mother under intestacy rules. There is no clear record of what he wanted for grandchildren, step-children or charities. If James’s mother later loses capacity without LPAs, decisions about her finances and care may end up with the Court of Protection.
With planning: While doing their own Wills, James and Nikki gently encourage his parents to make theirs and to put LPAs in place. When his father later dies, there is a clear Will to follow. When his mother needs help with her finances, some years later, the attorneys she has chosen are already in place and can step in quickly. The whole family has a more precise roadmap, and James and Nikki are not left trying to guess their parents’ wishes.
In each case, the parents’ own Will is important. But the real difference comes when the person inheriting has their own plan for what happens next.
A note on trusts and “holding money back”
Sometimes a straightforward gift in a Will is not the best fit, especially if a beneficiary is particularly vulnerable or simply not ready to handle a large sum.
In those situations, it may be appropriate to consider structures that provide more control and support, such as certain types of trust. These can help protect funds while still allowing a beneficiary to benefit sensibly.
Fern Wills & LPAs drafts trusts that arise on death within Wills where appropriate, but we do not act as ongoing trustees or trust administration. Where a trust needs to be operated or registered in practice, we will introduce you to an appropriate specialist to conduct and administer the trust on your behalf. You remain free to choose your own adviser.
Bringing it together
A good Will protects your family, keeps things clear, and makes life easier at a difficult time.
A great Will goes a step further. It recognises that an inheritance is not just a gift, but a responsibility – and it helps your children and other beneficiaries get ready for that responsibility in their own lives.
If you are updating your Will and would like to:• Make sure your children are genuinely ready to inherit.
• Explore practical ways to help them put their own Wills and LPAs in place.
• Think through how best to support more vulnerable beneficiaries.
We can discuss the options with you and, where appropriate, assist your children with their own planning as well.
That way, the care you are showing now carries on properly to the next generation, rather than being left to chance.
