What Information Do You Need Before Making a Will in Scotland?
An approachable inventory of the people, assets, liabilities and documents to organise before discussing a Scottish will.
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The information to gather
Before making a will in Scotland, gather a clear outline of who you are, your family and dependants, the people you may wish to appoint or benefit, and the assets and liabilities that could affect your plans. Include existing wills, important legal documents and any connection with another country.
You do not need a perfect estate valuation or every account statement to begin preparing. Approximate values, clearly labelled as estimates, can help a solicitor understand the broad picture. More accurate figures, ownership documents or specialist valuations may be needed before the solicitor can give particular advice or complete suitable drafting.
The purpose of preparation is to organise facts and questions—not to write legal clauses or calculate anyone's entitlement. Scottish legal rights, ownership arrangements and individual family circumstances require professional assessment.
Identity, relationships and family
Record your full legal name, current address, date of birth and any previous names. Note your current marital or civil-partnership status, relevant dates and details of a spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner. Tell the solicitor about separation even if no divorce or dissolution has been completed.
List children, adopted children and any child who died before you. Include grandchildren or other descendants where relevant. Record stepchildren and foster children separately rather than assuming they have the same legal position. Note anyone who relies on you for money, housing, care or practical support, including an adult child, former partner or elderly relative.
Family information can feel personal, but incomplete relationship details may produce an incomplete discussion. Mention estrangement, previous relationships, disputed parentage, adoption, vulnerability, concerns about pressure and anyone likely to expect provision. Ask for a private conversation with the solicitor where necessary.
Useful details include each person's:
full name and previous name where relevant;
relationship to you;
approximate age or date of birth;
address or reliable contact details; and
any circumstance that may affect how a gift should be managed.
Do not record unnecessary medical details in a general preparation. It is enough initially to flag that a beneficiary may be vulnerable, lack capacity, receive means-tested support or need a tailored arrangement.
Executors and guardians
Executors
An executor administers the estate. Record your preferred executor, at least one substitute, their relationship to you and contact details. Consider whether they are willing, dependable and able to manage the likely work. More than one person can be appointed, and a professional executor may be discussed.
Do not choose only by age or family seniority. Property, business interests, family disagreement and overseas assets can affect the demands of the role. Read Executors in Scotland and write down anything you want the solicitor to explain about responsibility, charging or replacement appointments.
Guardians
If you have a child under 16, record anyone you may want to appoint as guardian and a substitute. Note their relationship with the child, location and whether you have spoken to them. Tell the solicitor about other people with parental rights and responsibilities, existing court orders and the child's relevant support needs.
A guardian appointment and financial arrangements for a child are different questions. Record both your care wishes and how you hope money would be managed, but leave the legal mechanism to the solicitor. See Guardians and Children.
Beneficiaries, gifts and the residue
List the people and organisations you may want to benefit. Provide enough information to identify them accurately. If two relatives have the same name, add a relationship, location or date of birth rather than using an ambiguous label such as “my nephew”.
For each proposed beneficiary, consider:
what you hope they will receive;
whether the gift is a sum, item, share or part of the residue;
what should happen if they die before you;
whether they are young or may need support managing money; and
whether another person should benefit instead in specified circumstances.
Specific gifts
Record cash gifts, possessions, property interests or shares you want to discuss. Describe a particular item clearly and note whether it is jointly owned. Think about what should happen if you no longer own it or its value changes substantially.
Residuary wishes
The residue is broadly what remains after debts, expenses and other gifts have been addressed. Record who you would want to receive it and in what broad proportions. Include substitute wishes if a residuary beneficiary cannot inherit.
Do not attempt to make gifts add up using the gross value of your assets. Debts, tax, administration expenses, Scottish legal rights and assets passing outside the will can affect the eventual estate.
Charitable gifts
Use a charity's official name, registered charity number and address if available. Note whether you want a fixed gift or a share of the residue. The solicitor can advise on identification wording, replacement arrangements and relevant tax treatment without WillWise promising a particular outcome.
Property and jointly held assets
List every home, rental property, land or other heritable property in Scotland and abroad. For each, record:
the address;
the registered owners;
the approximate ownership share;
an estimated current value;
the mortgage or secured-loan balance; and
where the title documents or registration details can be found.
Property title can contain a survivorship destination or other provision affecting what happens on death. The will may not control an asset in the way you expect. Bring title information for professional review rather than relying solely on mortgage statements or household assumptions.
List jointly held bank accounts, investments, possessions and business interests separately. Identify the other owner and how the asset was acquired. “Joint” does not always mean the same legal or beneficial arrangement. Do not assume every joint asset automatically passes to the survivor or always forms part of the estate.
Savings, investments, pensions and insurance
Create an inventory by provider rather than copying every transaction. Include:
current, savings and building-society accounts;
cash savings and Premium Bonds;
ISAs, shares, funds, bonds and investment platforms;
employee share plans or options;
money owed to you;
valuable vehicles, jewellery, art or collections;
private and workplace pensions;
life assurance and mortgage-protection policies; and
death-in-service or other employer benefits.
Record whether each asset is held solely or jointly and give an estimated value or range. HMRC's guidance on identifying assets and debts illustrates the breadth of information that may eventually matter to estate administration. At the will-preparation stage, the solicitor can tell you what needs verification.
For pensions and insurance, include the provider, scheme or policy name and whether a nomination or expression of wish exists. Benefits may be governed by scheme rules, policy ownership, trustee discretion or nominations rather than the will alone. Locate the current nomination but do not assume it is binding or up to date.
Business interests, debts and liabilities
If you are a sole trader, partner, director, shareholder, farmer or landlord, record the business name, legal structure, ownership percentage and approximate value. Locate relevant partnership agreements, articles, shareholder agreements, buy-sell arrangements, loans and insurance.
Explain whether anyone depends on the business continuing and whether another owner expects to buy or receive your interest. The asset you legally own may differ from the trading operation people refer to informally. Legal, tax, valuation and financial advisers may need to work together.
List liabilities including:
mortgages and secured borrowing;
personal loans and credit cards;
business loans and director's accounts;
guarantees given for another person's or company's debt;
tax liabilities;
maintenance or contractual obligations; and
disputed claims or significant informal loans.
Give an approximate balance, creditor and whether the liability is joint. Also mention substantial lifetime gifts or transfers. Do not decide whether they are legally relevant; give the solicitor the facts needed to ask follow-up questions.
Digital assets and information security
Record digital property and services that an executor may need to locate:
email and cloud-storage providers;
social-media and messaging accounts;
photographs, writing and other creative work;
websites, domains and monetised content;
online shops, payment services and subscriptions;
cryptoassets; and
online investment or savings services.
For each, record the provider, general asset type and where a secure access plan is kept. Do not place passwords, PINs, seed phrases, private keys, recovery codes or security answers in your will-preparation answers. Do not upload them to WillWise. Digital Assets and Your Estate: A Scottish Preparation Guide explains how to create a reference inventory without collecting credentials.
Share information safely
Before sending documents, ask the solicitor which secure portal, encrypted service or delivery method the firm uses. Ordinary email may not be appropriate for identity documents, bank statements, medical information or children's data.
Minimise what you send:
use provider names and partial references instead of complete account numbers initially;
redact irrelevant transactions and identifiers where the solicitor agrees;
keep original documents safe;
verify unexpected requests using a known telephone number; and
never disclose one-time security codes or banking credentials.
WillWise is an information-preparation service, not a password manager or document instruction to a financial provider.
Funeral wishes and existing documents
Record broad funeral, burial, cremation, donation or commemoration wishes you want to discuss. Detailed instructions may be better kept in a separate letter because arrangements can change and a will may not be read before practical decisions are made. Ask the solicitor where each wish belongs and tell relevant people where the current note is kept.
Gather every existing will and codicil, or the details of the solicitor holding the original. Do not write on, alter, staple or destroy an old will yourself. Also identify:
Tell the solicitor if you own overseas property, hold foreign accounts, have another citizenship or domicile connection, previously lived abroad, or have a will made under another legal system. Avoid assuming one Scottish document controls every asset worldwide. Advice may be needed in more than one jurisdiction, and documents should be coordinated to avoid accidental revocation or conflict.
Highlight circumstances that may create claims or require careful drafting:
a cohabiting partner;
children from different relationships;
stepchildren or informally supported people;
an estranged spouse, civil partner, child or dependant;
a vulnerable beneficiary;
concern about capacity, pressure or family disagreement;
a wish to exclude or limit provision for a close relative;
insolvency or a disputed debt; and
substantial lifetime gifts.
Scottish legal rights can allow a spouse, civil partner, children or descendants to claim from net moveable estate in relevant circumstances. Do not use a general guide to calculate or plan around those rights. Read Scottish Legal Rights, then obtain advice based on the full facts.
Categorised information checklist
Treat this as a working inventory. Mark estimates and unknown items honestly.
You and your family
[ ] Legal identity, address and previous names
[ ] Marriage, civil partnership, cohabitation or separation details
[ ] Children, descendants, stepchildren and dependants
[ ] Overseas residence, citizenship or domicile connections
[ ] Difficult relationships, vulnerability or potential claims
Appointments and beneficiaries
[ ] Preferred executor and substitute
[ ] Proposed guardian and substitute, if relevant
[ ] Beneficiaries and reliable identifying details
[ ] Replacement beneficiaries
[ ] Specific gifts and charitable gifts
[ ] Residuary wishes
Assets
[ ] Property, titles, owners, values and mortgages
[ ] Joint accounts and jointly held assets
[ ] Savings, investments and valuable possessions
[ ] Pensions, insurance, death benefits and nominations
[ ] Business interests and governing agreements
[ ] Overseas assets
[ ] Digital assets without credentials
Liabilities and documents
[ ] Debts, guarantees and disputed obligations
[ ] Existing wills and codicils
[ ] Trusts, agreements, court orders and powers of attorney
[ ] Funeral or commemoration wishes
[ ] Questions, estimates and missing information
[ ] Secure method for providing sensitive documents
Common omissions
Recording assets but not ownership
Provider names and values are not enough where an asset is joint, held in trust or governed by a nomination. Record how it is held and locate the controlling document.
Forgetting substitutes
An executor, guardian or beneficiary may die first, decline to act or be unable to receive a gift. Record alternative choices for discussion.
Leaving out debts and guarantees
A useful estate picture includes liabilities. A guarantee for a business or relative may be important even if no payment is currently due.
Assuming family labels settle legal status
“Partner”, “child” and “family home” can conceal legally important distinctions. Give accurate facts and let the solicitor determine their effect.
Omitting pensions, insurance and digital property
These arrangements may not follow the will in a straightforward way, but the solicitor still needs to know they exist.
Waiting for exact figures
Do not postpone an initial preparation solely because values change or a statement is missing. Use a date-stamped estimate or range and identify what needs checking. Accurate professional advice or final drafting may still require documents and confirmed detail later.
Organise your preparation with WillWise
WillWise guides you through these categories in a calm, structured order and turns your answers into an organised preparation report. You can save progress, return to incomplete sections and take the report to a Scottish solicitor as a starting point for discussion.
Start your WillWise preparation when you are ready. It does not create a will or replace professional advice, and you should never enter passwords or security credentials.
This guide provides general legal information for Scotland. WillWise is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice and does not create a legally valid will. Seek advice from a Scottish solicitor about your individual circumstances.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need exact values before making a will?
Not always at the first preparation stage. Clearly marked estimates or ranges can establish the broad picture, but the solicitor may need accurate values, ownership documents or professional valuations before giving particular advice.
Do I need account numbers in my preparation?
Usually a provider name, account type and partial reference are enough initially. Never record online-banking credentials, PINs, passwords or one-time codes. Ask the solicitor what identifiers are needed and how to send them securely.
Should jointly owned property and accounts be included?
Yes. Record the asset, other owner and known ownership arrangement. Joint assets do not all pass in the same way, so titles and account terms may need professional review.
Should I list pensions and life assurance?
Yes. Include providers, policy or scheme details and existing nominations. Some benefits may be governed by scheme rules, policy terms or trustee decisions rather than the will itself.
What if I have not chosen an executor or guardian?
Record possible choices and the questions you need answered. You do not need to treat an undecided point as final before speaking with a solicitor.
Should I mention someone I do not want to inherit?
Yes. Tell the solicitor privately about estrangement, difficult relationships or concerns about a possible claim. Scottish legal rights and other circumstances may affect the advice.
Can I add missing information after the first meeting?
Yes. Information often develops during preparation. Tell the solicitor what is estimated or missing and provide requested documents promptly before advice or drafting is finalised.
Sources
Authoritative references used to support and review this guide.
