Having read the Guardian on 17th April 2011, it appears that the Law Society has again highlighted the problems of what it terms “unregulated” Will Writers.
In the article examples were given of basic errors in drafting, which caused problems after death. Whilst I know that any mistake in drafting can have serious consequences. It should be understood that this can happen even if such documents are drawn up by a solicitor.
With news stories reporting that some companies are offering very cheap Wills, and others apparently ripping people off. The worry is the public will be put off doing Wills at all!
As a person with years of experience, having worked as both a solicitor and a professional Will Writer. It’s important that you are NOT put off writing a Will by a few stories of where it has gone wrong.
There are 3 simple steps to take to ensure that the person you use is a Will Writing professional.
• Only choose someone who is a member of either the Society of Will Writers or the Institute of Will Writers. Membership can be checked on these organisation’s websites.
• If you choose a member of one of the above organisations, the person will be fully insured. This means you are protected.
• Ask for a written quotation after any meeting. You have a cooling off period if you do not want to go ahead.
My final tip is that of common sense. If something sounds too good to be true in any walk of life, it probably is. If on receiving a quotation which is very low, avoid using that Will Writer.
Likewise if a quote sounds very high, ask for a full explanation as to why the costs are such. If complex trusts are required in your case you should be prepared to pay for proper professional work. All good Will Writers will be able to confirm exactly how the fees are calculated. If the fees still appear very high walk away!