Given the degree of fascination with tabloid media and gossip magazines have with the demise of celebrities, you could be forgiven if you believed that death was no longer the taboo subject of old.

The only way to ensure that your wishes are adhered to - whether you're married or not - is by having a will. It might not surprise anyone that I firmly recommend them but the countless difficulties experienced in cases on which I have advised where no will was present, make all too clear how the time spent putting in place a clear plan for your assets, is very well spent providing peace of mind for you and your family.

The business of dividing up someone's assets after they've died is never a pleasant one but is usually relatively straightforward.