National Trust Wills Service - Free Wills

Marcon

Keep_pedalling said:

Marcon said:

JohnBrown53 said:

Be careful when seeing offers of 'free' wills. There is no such thing as a free lunch! Ask yourself, why would a solicitor practice, bank, company or other organisation take the time and effort to write a will for you without charging? In most cases its because they will charge a fee or percentage of your estate on death during probate. Its a huge money spinner for them. You get your 'free' will and they collect, eg 2-5% of your estate (or a big fee) on death. In most cases the cost of a professionally drafted will works out far cheaper than paying later on a proportion of your estate, which would have gone to your descendants.

Only if you leave them a legacy in the will. If you don't, they get nothing from you or your estate. They can't 'charge' a percentage of your estate.

I think JB is referring to the solicitor not the charity.

It's still wholly misleading - and it isn't a 'huge money spinner' for solicitors. There's no guarantee you won't change your will at a later date, even if you do nominate the solicitors as your executors!

Marcon

Peter.Siffredi said:

Hello,

Has anyone used the national trust free wills writing service?

My mum has asked me to sort her will for her. I'm debating the quick and cheap option vs using a solicitor. Both my parents are alive and married, the only issue is that my dad isn't interested in writing a will - he's a stubborn old man who believes he can live forever and won't entertain any discussion on the matter.

Many people can't cope with thinking about their own mortality and dress it up behind all sorts of defences.

One approach which works surprisingly often is to present him with a fait accompli - ie a will ready for him to sign. While your mother is getting her will done, have a simple will drawn up by the same solicitor, (say) leaving everything to her if he dies first (otherwise she'd only get the statutory legacy of £322K + 50% of the rest of his estate); or if she dies first, everything split equally between those of his children who are alive at the time he dies. 

One of three things will happen:

1. he'll sign, albeit grudgingly
2. he'll actually engage, and start saying what he really wants to happen
3. he won't sign, will throw a major wobbly etc etc - at which point your mother needs to put her hat into the ring and explain how upset/exposed/worried or whatever his stance is making her.

Based on experience, it works far more often than it fails - and with far less family friction and fall out than you might fear.

poseidon1

Just an observation but an important one. Is the family home in joint names or sole name of father?

If the home is the most valuable family asset and in sole name of father, what will mother's will purport to gift and to whom?

If father cannot bring himself to engage in this sensible estate planning excercise, mother going it alone begs the question whether she will aim for iht efficiently ( gifting all to husband) or bypass him in favour of children.

Depending on age differences, statistically husband's tend to die first, so father potentially dying intestate, could leave the family home ( or a share of it depending on ownership and values ) subject to  statutory trusts. His refusal, could leave mother in a quandary has to the contents of her own will.