Having a will is always important, but for serving military personnel, who arguably take more risks in their work than others, it is absolutely vital. It might not be nice to think about the prospect of dying, but we all want to make sure our loved ones are cared for after we have gone – so, in order to make sure they are properly looked after, you will need a will.

This will help to eliminate any confusion or discrepancies in the future and will make sure that the people you want to benefit from your estate will be able to do so.

Isn’t a MOD 106 Will enough?

According to the MOD themselves *, “those deploying are strongly advised to draw up a will with a solicitor prior to deployment”. Put simply the MOD are advising that a basic MOD 106 Will may not be good enough for any serving military personnel and their families, particularly if:

• you own property or other valuable assets

• you are not married or in a civil partnership but wish to make proper provision for your partner

• you wish to make arrangements for the guardianship of your children

• you have recently gone through a divorce or civil partnership dissolution

• your family or personal or personal circumstances have altered

* Source: Families Deployment guide March2011, which is available at
http://www.army.mod.uk/documents/general/20110308_PDF_Families_Deployment_guide_March2011.pdf

What do I need to include in my will?

When you are drafting your will, there are several important issues you need to think about. One of the most important things to decide is what you want to happen to your children in the event of your death. For instance, if both you and your spouse were to die before they reached the age of 18, who would become their guardians? How would they be looked after financially?

You also need to think about things such as how you want to divide your other assets, who you would like to give what to and provision for your spouse. You can also dictate things such as your funeral requests and who you would like to be the executor of your will.

Issues such as the above are especially important if you have been in more than one marriage or have children by more than one partner, as you need to ensure that you have made sufficient arrangements for their maintenance.

How do I make a will?

Luckily, making a will for anyone serving in the Armed Forces is essentially the same as creating a civilian will. However, as wills for those in the armed forces also need to take account of issues such as complex military pensions, it is worth speaking to a specialist military lawyer who understands this system.