“ No two clients have the same requirements, it is essential that each person I meet is given the opportunity to fully express their wishes and it is my job to help them achieve them as far as possible. This makes the job of a Will Writer both interesting and at times, challenging. ”
– Stuart Porter
Stuart is a professionally qualified Will Writer. He is an associate member of STEP, a global organisation with over 22,000 members specialising in Trusts and Estate Planning. STEP requires adherence to a strict code of conduct covering ethics, integrity and on-going professional education.
He has lived in Dubai since 2001 and is passionate about the level of individually tailored customer service he provides in all aspects of his professional life.
Great British Wills was founded by Stuart to provide British expatriates resident in Dubai with a convenient way of writing their Wills. It combines the benefits of professional Will writing and 30 years of experience on assisting clients with managing their money.
The death of a colleague in Dubai led to the formation of Great British Wills.
My former colleague had the foresight to make a Will but the insight provided by this tragic event showed how difficult things could be if no Will existed.
In the months and years that followed, I discovered that the majority of expatriates resident in Dubai do not have a Will. But at that same time, they are concerned about what happens to their assets and more importantly children if they were to die whilst living here.
Local law permits non-Muslims to have a Will written under the law of their home country. Following the passing of Law 15 in 2017, these Wills are enforceable within the local court subject to a few caveats.
My research led me to discover there are 3 reasons why people do not have Wills:
1. Lack of knowledge, the assumption they do not need a Will. Local law is clear, if a Will does not exist, local law will apply to all assets within the jurisdiction of UAE.
2. Not Enough Assets to leave, whilst you may not have many assets we all have some: car, bank account, personal possessions etc which are more easily managed with a Will, especially those in UAE. Other matters such as guardianship of children and funeral wishes are commonly included in Wills. See Guardianship
3. Time. Life in Dubai is busy. There are a 1,000 things to do and see. Making a Will is often at the bottom of the list, if it is even on the ‘To Do’ List. See Wills In Dubai
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