Making a will?

oj01

I too have made an appointment with a solicitor through Will Aid. But what is the point if a normal solicitors charge (around £50) is less than the donation (£75) ?

probbins2000

The will is now being drafted by a participating will aid solicitor. He said the donation was up to me. I made a donation of £90 as his normal fee for a joint will was £180. However, my parents used a different solicitor and they wanted a min donation of £110. So I guess you must shop around.

We too had the dilemma of guardianship of our children in the event of us both dying and we chose not to use grandparents as they would be too old in our case, so we chose good and trusted friends, and any funds would be administrated by the executers

margaretclare

This was discussed this afternoon at 3 pm on BBC Radio 4's 'Moneybox Live'.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/6083650.stm

There's a 'listen again' facility, and anyone not convinced of the need to make a proper will should listen to the views of the 3 experts in this field.

This is one of the areas of life in which 'penny-pinching' can actually lose you money, or if not you, then the people you assumed would inherit your goods and chattels.

Best wishes

Margaret

charlie_farley

Hi: I used to work as a PA to a solicitor who dealt with Probate. You will often find that solicitors will charge a set fee for a simple type Will and it is worth calling more than one firm to see what their charges are as they will very often compete with one another to get the business. Basically, drawing up a Will is something they will tend to do cheaply mainly because if they are allowed to store the Will on their premises when the person(s) dies they will 9 times out of 10 be asked to do the Probate work by the Executors (which is where they earn the big money) - and I agree with the earlier post someone left - DONT ask them to act as Executors - it will cost a fortune! I also agree that it is dangerous to make a "home made Will" - so often simple little wording mistakes can often lead to horrendous costs to the beneficiaries. Good luck!

medical

anybody heard about will drafters ltd. i want to write a will as well more so because of the children. willdrafters ltd i saw their advert (Made Your Will Yet?
We all know the importance of making a will and yet it is all too easy to keep putting it off. So, you’ll be pleased to know:

Our will writing service is easy (no forms for you to complete), straightforward, hassle free and excellent value for money - £15 discount for members on our standard brochure charges.
For your added convenience, we can take your will instructions anytime between 9am and 9.30pm Mon-Fri and at weekends too.
You can rest assured, we’ve provided peace of mind for 80,000 customers since 1990.

Read what Which? magazine, Midland Bank and Standard Life say about us. Free brochure e-mailed out in seconds.) as seen on advert


say they do this on the phone and then send it out to you . Has anyone out there used them before?
all suggestions welcome
medical

RebeccaP_2

If you are worried about inheritance tax and having to give money to the government that is rightfully yours, consider a Loan Trust info here:http://www.inheritance-tax-information.com/loan-trust-will.php

We have set one up and it did involve changing how we owned the house. You need to use a solicitor and this does cost, but it'll be less than what we would have to give in IHT. If you want someone to talk you through it with no obligation, our advisor seems to travel the country!!

Also a will doesn't need to have any precious bequeaths in it eg; items of jewelery, family heirlooms etc... These go in a separate letter of intent and thus avoid getting included in all the other wranglings.

biblejohn

Interesting post. I too am thinking of making a will, but dont relish the thought of paying 100quid to a solicitor. Im a single guy and want to leave everything I own to my brother. Plain & simple. No messing about with kids/ex wifes or anything like that cos I havent got any.

Surely a home-made will will be okay in this instance?

Queue_2

I have just been quoted a price of £700 plus VAT by a solicitor for drawing up a will for my husband and me and giving us inheritance tax advice. Can anyone tell me if this is a reasonable quote. Our will is not complicated just each other and one adult child. Do they charge a percentage of the estate?

Hooda_Thunkit

I made a will using a solicitor just 3 weeks ago, and it cost me £47. If Queue's solicitor is trying to charge £700, she should go elsewhere and save a fortune!

TEDDYRUKSPIN

Erm, where are you storing the will? Wills cost around £120 with lifetime safekeeping for life in banks. So you should try them. Banks are unlikely to close down but solicitor firms most likely will!