Will writing

macman

GaryBC said:

relaxtwotribes said:

I can see at least three omissions in that long response, but as it is clear that you now have the reply that you were seeking all along, it just remains to wish you good luck.

What do you see? 

The sort of things that a qualified solicitor will see, which why they will charge you a moderate premium for doing the job properly.
As for 'regulation', it mean that there is some comeback, perhaps many years down the line, for your descendants when it's found that the way your will was drafted does not reflect your actual intentions at the time. Solicitors have to have substantial liability insurance to guard against such events.

Emmia

Pennylane said:

GaryBC said:

Hmmmm

Quite a few responses but, so far, no real answer. 
"Because they're regulated"... But what does that actually mean in practice? 
Storage and retrieval problems? HMCTS will look after it for life for £20. 
Untangling intent? What's there to untangle?
If my wife and kids go before me I'm not sure I'll need to care much! 
Hidden costs? Like what? 

We have an appointment booked for a free half hour appointment with a solicitor in advance of writing our Wills.  I was tempted to DIY and, of course, still have that option.

I know what you mean about “what is the difference?” Because we had this years ago when we were buying and selling houses.  I got quotes from 3 solicitors and was shocked at how expensive it was. I then heard about Licensed Conveyancers who were about a third of the price so went with one and we had excellent service.  We have used a LC every time we have bought a sold a property since then and have been more than happy and saved a lot of money.

While I was making up my mind I asked one of the solicitors why their prices were so much higher and what the difference was and he said “you get our personal service”.   That made no sense at all because we got that from the LC too!! 

I know loads of people who have done their Wills via solicitors and have had lots of problems afterwards so even that route is not 100%. 

I think the difference here is that your will is only needed when you are no longer around, and is the vehicle by which your final wishes are expressed, potentially years or decades after it was written.

Property purchase is a fairly short term process dealing with the buying / selling of a specific building or bit of land. With a conveyancer if you think things aren't what you want or if things go wrong, you have the opportunity to switch firms, use a solicitor as you're alive - there are also not the same "what ifs" to be considered or need to "future proof" the transaction. 

Sarahspangles

I would rather use a solicitor for a will because, unlike ‘will writers’, they also have experience of administering wills.  Their experience is practical, and creates a ‘feedback loop’ that can improve the quality of their work and awareness of the range of scenarios that can arise within families and estates.

Savvy_Sue

Red Cross seem to be advertising a free will scheme quite heavily on Facebook atm. The hope will be that you make a donation to them, either at the time or in your will, and it is only 'simple' wills which will be included. Worth investigating, I feel. 

p00hsticks

Savvy_Sue said:

Red Cross seem to be advertising a free will scheme quite heavily on Facebook atm. The hope will be that you make a donation to them, either at the time or in your will, and it is only 'simple' wills which will be included. Worth investigating, I feel. 

As do a number of other charities - a google search just now for 'free wills' grought up both British Heart Foundation and Guide Dogs.

What I was actually googling for is 'free wills month' which a number of solicitors participate in, where they will draw up a simple will for you, although I believe you have to be over 55 and they do ask for a donation to charity. The next one is in March

https://freewillsmonth.org.uk/

elsien

You have to be over 55 for the free will months one. 

There is Will Aid which doesn’t have an age limit and where you make a donation, but that’s not till November.
https://www.willaid.org.uk/

GaryBC

Loads of good stuff here peeps! 
Thanks to all.