Mirror Wills for couples: what they do and don't do

In England and Wales each person makes their own Will. 'Mirror Wills' simply describes two documents that reflect each other. Because the drafting overlaps, they are charged at a reduced pair rate: £275 for standard mirror Wills and £499 for complex or trust mirror Wills. If the two Wills say materially different things they are two separate pieces of work and are priced individually.

• Everything to the survivor.
• If the other has already died, to the children in equal shares.
• Guardians for any children under 18.
• Executors, usually each other plus a backup.
• Any specific gifts, funeral wishes, and a residue clause.

A mirror Will does not bind either person. After the first death the survivor is free to make a new Will leaving everything elsewhere, and a later marriage automatically revokes their existing Will, so the change can even happen by accident. For a first-marriage couple with shared children this rarely matters. For a blended family it matters a great deal.

There are three usual ways to approach this:

1. Keep things simple. This may be sensible where both partners have the same children and wishes.
2. A property protection trust. Ring-fences your share of the home for your chosen beneficiaries while the survivor lives there for life. Read the guide.
3. Mutual Wills. These involve a binding agreement not to change the Wills. They are rarely recommended because family life can change and the agreement may cause disputes many years later.

Marriage, divorce, a new child or grandchild, a death among your beneficiaries or executors, buying property, receiving an inheritance, or moving abroad. Otherwise, a read-through every five years is enough.