Will writing

jaype

As my partner and I are not married but have children we urgently need to make a will. Can anyone advise me of somewhere cheap to do this? Are the online services okay or should you really go to a solicitor (seems very expensive - about £100 compared to £20!). We don't own a house so there's no danger we will exceed the inheritance tax threshold, all we own are a few shares etc, plus my partner has death in service benefit and a teacher's pension. Our life insurance is written into trust already. Thanks!

trundlecat

We've just had ours done by Trust Inheritance (01934 622 012 222 or https://www.trustinheritance.com) & I can recommend them. Cost us £45 for the joint will. We also bought their services to store our will & be our Executors should the worst happen, there was no pressure to purchase this service but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than using a solicitor for complicated wills like ours (step kids, greedy families, assets all over the place etc).

Pink.

Hi jaype,

You'd have to be quick, but during November 2006 solicitors will waive their fees if you make a donation to charity. See here for more details: www.willaid.org.uk

Pink

sonnyflyer

trundlecat wrote:

We've just had ours done by Trust Inheritance (01934 622 012 222 or https://www.trustinheritance.com) & I can recommend them. Cost us £45 for the joint will. We also bought their services to store our will & be our Executors should the worst happen, there was no pressure to purchase this service but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than using a solicitor for complicated wills like ours (step kids, greedy families, assets all over the place etc).

Only thing you need to be careful of are the heavy executorship charges that can befall your survivors - so, best to agree on those or your loved ones may end up with a lot less then you'd like.

Personally, I have appointed my family (who are also the beneficiaries) to be trustees and executors of my will. So no extra costs. Additionally, I have left full instructions on how to apply for probate, Inland Revenue form filling etc. .....

.....hopefully, something they family won't need for another 70 years:A

trundlecat

sonnyflyer wrote:

Only thing you need to be careful of are the heavy executorship charges that can befall your survivors - so, best to agree on those or your loved ones may end up with a lot less then you'd like.

That worried me a lot but I feel reassured by the contract we've got. The maximum Trust will take in comission is 2% & that goes up on a sliding scale from 0% up to 2% depending on the size of your estate.

I really wanted professional executors because while I want to make sure my step kids (hubbys 2 from previous marriage) get their fair share of capital I want the house & my stock (bought a long time before I met hubby) to go to our kids alone. Petrified that should the worst happen the house will get sold from under their feet.

I didn't know (until the consultant called us before our appointment to let us know what we needed to have ready) that you could appoint guardians in wills. That bit was reassuring cos I home ed my kids so I'm keen they go to someone who'll carry that on with them & not just bundle them off to state school. I'm also a big collector so my list of "gifts" is as long as my arm & I need to be able to keep adding to it. I can edit my will online so as I get something new I can bequeathe it.

Now for the really morbid bit.... I got everything about my funeral in there too. Name of funeral director right down to choice of coffin. I'm having a woodland burrial which most folk wouldn't have a clue how to arrange so that takes the pressure off.

Hope all of it isn't needed but I feel so much better knowing the thing's all done now. It was something we'd been meaning to do for over 4 years but never got round to it.

jaype

Thanks everyone - especially Trundlecat. I like the idea of being able to talk it all through. My partner's best mate is going to be the executor, but it would be good to be able to add stuff on as and when... Will giver them a call.

alecro

Beware. The cheapo Will itself is just a foot in the door to sell you a £2,500 package of services and enable Trust Inheritance to earn lots of fees on being your Executor etc.. Claims it saves money on a local solicitor but not sure it would in end. My Will was drafted poorly with little attempt to prompt me as to what to put in it. Maybe £59 Will better than buying one from WHSmiths for £5 and DIY..just. .

dunramblin

please read this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7253417.stm

I invited Trust Inheritance round to my house to do my will. £49 for a joint will. It took the guy 2.5 hours all up ! After getting all my information, he showed me an extract from The Times newspaper which apparently shows all the charges the banks make for being will executors. It ranged from £6k to £20K. The guy then told me how much he could "save me" as Trust Inheritance can be the executors for £2.5K ! So I went from looking at £49 to £2500 in the space of 2.5 hours !
No
wonder they are prepared to come round your house when it is convenient for you.

I felt sorry for the bloke trying to con me as this is what he has chosen to do for a living. They butter you up with the nice house, nice children, what if this happens and what if that happens and then they hit you with the prices at the end. I was expecting a catch right from the start. I paid him for the wills and he left. He obviously works off commission.

Everyone thinks about their Will from time-to-time. These people are preying on the confusion that abounds around this subject. They should be regulated by the law society or at least by some sort of law ! I can imagine they are ripping people off all over the place, especially the vunerable.

Is being an executor that difficult ? I have also heard that these kind of companies who are people's executors can string out the executing for ages as the longer they are involved the more money they make out of it.

thanks