Will writing services

Errata

Paying a monthly fee can result in thousands being paid for the 'service' Who on earth would want to do that ?

danzily

I have been told that some charities such as Cancer Care offer a free will writing service as long as you leave them a bequest in your will.

BarmyBoy

Does anyone know whether a retired solicitor who is a beneficiary and executor to his father's will can charge for his services when his father regularly told him to before his death but did not mention it in the will. Step mother who is also beneficiary is objecting!!

dzug1

If it's not mentioned in the will he can't charge a fee - only actual expenses. The verbal instruction doesn't count, although the other beneficiaries could if they wished agree to it.

pooler_2

i work as a solicitor and have drafted wills previously. you can get will writing services online, or packs in the shops. I have seen self-made wills, and wills made by some will writing comapnies (not solicitors) and as as mentioned above, you get what you pay for.

Of course, not all companies will not do a good job. But solicitors are trained and should offer you a better value service, in the sense of better advice in relation to all aspects of will writing, eg tax, beneficiaries etc. Value for money in the sense that a well written will should not cause problems later on when the time comes for it to be read, through any fault of poor drafting.

my firm has average charges for a will - £125 for single and £195 for two similar. This may not be cheap, but when you are dealing with assets worth a lot more (a house etc) it is well worth the investment. We store the wills for free.

Rather than storing a will in a place which charges, it may be worth approaching your local solicitors and asking them to store it, promising to use their service when you next need it amending etc.

Regarding charging a fee - I assume you mean professional fees in the administration of the estate? as dugz1 says, Unless the will specifies otherwise, or all the beneficiaries agree, a retired solicitor would not be acting in the course of his profession so couldn't charge. He could instruct another solicitor to do the job for him, and they could charge their reasonable fee. He is able to recoup any expenses incurres as the executor.

Pooler.

Baggysdad

But solicitors are trained

But they are not all trained in Wills - and some of them, particularly conveyancing solicitors, are renewing their interest in the subject after several years (even decades) out of the Wills and Probate arena. They need to be avoided just as much as the 'some willwriting companies' mentioned by pooler.

Most of the 'free' wills offered by unions require the customer to complete a form - and to complete it accurately and correctly - and are subject to the same pitfalls as on line Wills. Garbage in = garbage out. If the form is not completed correctly, it doesn't matter how talented the solicitor at the other end - the Will is going to be nonsense.

berzolla

While in Barclays bank with my mum (she has an account with them ) we asked about will writing and we were told for a single person it would be £90. Hope this helps someone.

Errata

It's wise to specify in the will that 'my daughter Ethel Bloggs is left nothing' - there's proper legal phrasing for this, can't remember what it is. No reason needs to be given.

localhero

Hodgehappy wrote:

When I mentioned this to my mum as it would cost to amend it, she chose to write a letter getting it signed, dated & witnessed by her friend instead to this effect. She has put it in an envelope marked "To whom it may concern" I hope this may stand up one day??

Hodgehappy, you might want to check out this thread about excluding someone from your Will:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1406039

Hodgehappy

localhero wrote: »

you might want to check out this thread about excluding someone from your Will:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1406039

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