Help with making up a Will

Margot123

getmore4less wrote: »

she need to decide what she wants to do, if she wants to write a will she should contact local solicitors to make an appointment.

I know the OP's post reads as though the will is their idea, and not their Mother's but I do understand the situation.

Many older people, often have a fear of 'authority' and have some Dickensian image of solicitors and the like (I know my parents did). Therefore they can lack the confidence in making the initial call.

Solicitors are aware of this, and are very well trained in spotting coercion, if that is the case. They will ask to speak to the person on their own, and any relatives/friends/neighbours present at the visit, would be wise to make the suggestion themselves and leave the room.

Mojisola

getmore4less wrote: »

she need to decide what she wants to do, if she wants to write a will she should contact local solicitors to make an appointment.

Whether she makes a will should definitely be a decision the mother makes but there's no reason why another family member shouldn't make the arrangements.

Over the last ten years or so of my parents' lives, I gradually took on this kind of thing for them - we used to joke about me being their secretary.

GDB2222

Can I recommend NOT making the solicitor's firm one of the executors. It can be ruinously expensive.

High street solicitors generally charge £200 -300 an hour or so. If one is prepared to come round to the house without charge, that may be because he is charitable and wants to help an elderly person get their affairs in order. Or there may be a catch somewhere, the usual one being the solicitor writes himself in as executor, without any limit on the fees he can charge.

Keep_pedalling

GDB2222 wrote: »

Can I recommend NOT making the solicitor's firm one of the executors. It can be ruinously expensive.

High street solicitors generally charge £200 -300 an hour or so. If one is prepared to come round to the house without charge, that may be because he is charitable and wants to help an elderly person get their affairs in order. Or there may be a catch somewhere, the usual one being the solicitor writes himself in as executor, without any limit on the fees he can charge.

Mostly that is good advice but, there are situations where it would have been better to appoint professionals.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5764887

GDB2222

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

Mostly that is good advice but, there are situations where it would have been better to appoint professionals.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5764887

Oops, that's a difficult situation.

Crabapple

I don't think there was any suggestion a solicitor would attend entirely for free -OPs mother would be charged for making a will, but there's no problem getting someone to do home visits where the client is housebound.

There are limited situations where a solicitor executor may be a wise idea, for the majority it is not appropriate. It's not common practice any longer for it to be suggested to most clients either.