Who should write my will?
Making sure that you have a will is important for a variety of reasons. Whilst no one wants to think about the worst happening, having a will in place can ease a significant amount of stress on your loved ones.
Having a will in place is the only way to ensure your estate is divided as you wish, including appointing a legal guardian for children under 18, this is to avoid courts holding the power to make decisions. With a will in place, your assets will be distributed as you wish meaning less paperwork and fewer arguments.
Who can write a will?
There is no sector specific regulation that covers will writing and no-one is legally prevented from offering will writing. However, this does not mean that just anyone should write a will.
There are many things that are required to be covered when writing a will, because of this, we would highly advise conferring with and seeking advice from a qualified solicitor.
If you’d like to learn more about wills and how we can help, check out our other blogs on the subject. https://www.hinedowning.com/news/how-important-is-having-a-valid-will-in-place/
Why are unregulated will writers dangerous?
Due to the fact that will writing is an unregulated market, the dangers of using unregulated will writers are real.
Working with unregulated will writers can leave you open to the risk of exploitation by unqualified practitioners who do not have your best interests at heart. If there was an issue involving dishonesty, fraud, misconduct, or otherwise, little to no protection is in place for consumers who use unmonitored will writing.
Unregulated will writers are usually small companies with little assets, this means that even if you were to successfully bring a claim forwards, the company could simply fold and the claim would never be paid. They often offer their services at a lower price. Initially this may be attractive but these costs then spiral quickly. For example, they may charge annual fees for the storage of your will. This is a service that solicitors usually offer free of charge.
Benefits of working with a solicitors
Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
They must follow the SRA Code of Conduct, which is a set of rules to make sure solicitors treat you fairly. The SRA will take action against a solicitor if they do not follow the said Code of Conduct.
They will assist you by making the will writing process move quicker, smoother and easier, whilst avoiding errors and potential mistakes. As well as being up to date with all new legal updates, they will give you advice as and when you need it.
They will help you every step of the way and make sure that you and your assets are protected and your will is in place.
We can provide you with all the help you’d need to write your will today.
Get in touch with us by giving us a call 01326 316655.
Or contact Angelo Micchie, who specializes in litigation disputed probate, wills, inheritances and trusts.