Creating a will - solicitor or Will Writing Service

3 Posts
Newbie
We are in the process of buying a house and were advised to write a will. In all honesty this is not something which we had really thought about until recently. We are still young, and really hadnt thought about this just yet.
Our mortgage advisor recommended us someone who we met this evening. He is a member of a will writing organisation, and he talked us through how it worked, and what we would like to do. He seemed quite nice, answered all our questions and made notes for a draft which he will send us to sign. He seemed a little old fashioned in some of his approaches, including providing handwritten payment details on a small square of paper. This particular thing knocked me a bit, as it seems very old fashioned, and not particularly professional. We have checked his details, and he is affiliated to a recognised will making organisation.
Are Will Writing services a good idea, or is it better to pay slightly more and go through a solicitor? There are a real mix of articles about this which don't really help us decide whether we should proceed with this man, or pay more and go through a lawyer. Advice and first hand experience would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks in advance.
Our mortgage advisor recommended us someone who we met this evening. He is a member of a will writing organisation, and he talked us through how it worked, and what we would like to do. He seemed quite nice, answered all our questions and made notes for a draft which he will send us to sign. He seemed a little old fashioned in some of his approaches, including providing handwritten payment details on a small square of paper. This particular thing knocked me a bit, as it seems very old fashioned, and not particularly professional. We have checked his details, and he is affiliated to a recognised will making organisation.
Are Will Writing services a good idea, or is it better to pay slightly more and go through a solicitor? There are a real mix of articles about this which don't really help us decide whether we should proceed with this man, or pay more and go through a lawyer. Advice and first hand experience would be greatly appreciated!
Many thanks in advance.
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You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time but you can never please all of the people all of the time
The Will Writing person will be paying a commission to the mortgage advisor, of course - if you decide to accept his services.
It's a good idea to have a will, whatever age you are. (Although when I was young I never gave it a second thought either.)
Have you actually had quotes from a solicitor to compare? Solicitors are not always more costly.
As others have said, if they were recommended by the mortgage advisor then it's likely that there is a comission involved.
You also need to be a bit wary as often they will quote lower costs but then charge you for add ons, or charge to store the will. Most solicitors will store the will for free if you want them to.
Pick an independent, local solicitor and do it that way.
There are many Will writers and some do know what they are doing, but others are rather poor and do not necessarily know how best to advise someone who wishes to safeguard their wealth for the family as they are not trained in Trusts and the finer points of Wills that a STEP solicitor is. If you complete with a Will writer, you will not have the assurance of a qualified firms backup if something goes wrong. Do think about it. Mortgage advisers should not be recommending Will writers, but perhaps, as others have mentioned, he is on some sort of commission, which may make the Will writer look rather 'iffy'.