Will aid scheme scam?

Confusedandbemused

I recently selected solicitor under will aid scheme. After 2 hr phone call I was transferred to their finance department to pay £1740 for trusts to be inserted in wills of myself and partner to protect assets from being used to pay care home fees & setting up powers of attorney. I paid and also the donation of £180 to will aid. I’ve since found out that trusts in wills to avoid care home fees are not worth paper they’re written on and that it’s easy/free to set up powers of attorney costing just £82 to register them. I feel like I’ve been duped. I’ve complained and asked for my money back - solicitors haven’t even supplied receipt. I’ve also told will aid that I think their scheme is being mis-used. Anyone else had similar experience?

FlorayG

I think they gave you what you requested. It's not their job to tell you that you can get it cheaper elsewhere. Trusts cost a lot more than simple wills

Pollycat

Unfortunately another case of doing research after the fact.

Hoenir

Confusedandbemused said:

I’ve also told will aid that I think their scheme is being mis-used. 

Will Aid is to encourage people to write basic wills (for a minimal donation).  Seems that you were expecting far more for your money. The solicitor probably had other importnt matters to deal with after spending two hours on the phone. 

km1500

well you are right in that the trusts are unlikely to have the effect you want ie someone else pays your care fees. 

Keep_pedalling

When you say the trusts are not worth the paper they are written on how have you established that? Mirror wills often have what are known as immediate post death interest trusts included. This gives the surviving spouse a life interest a life interest in the deceased spouses share with that share eventually going to the final beneficiaries (remaindermen).

This protects the beneficiaries from loosing their inheritance in the case of remarriage, and less importantly on potential care costs.  If this is the sort of trust that has been included then it is fairly standard, but you also need to sever the tenancy on your home if it is owned as joint tenants.

Are you married? 

artyboy

Yeah... you're not going to get a lot of sympathy around these parts if you were deliberately trying to avoid care home fees. 

For that matter, have you actually seen what council funded care is like?

Northern_Wanderer

Will Aid is for a simple will only. It is normal practice to ask a solicitor for a Fee quote before instructing them to do any work. If you had this sort of dicsussion with them they would have told you that what you were wanting was not a "Simpe Will".

Whilst a Power of Attorney can be registered for low cost, you're always best to get a solicitor to draw it up for you, and obviously that's an extra cost not covered by Will Aid as it is not a Will.

Legal firms that are part of Will Aid may have higher fees that other firms who are not. Some firms offer a discount if you get the will and POA done at the same time, but that won't be included in the Will Aid donation.

noitsnotme

Northern_Wanderer said:

 

Whilst a Power of Attorney can be registered for low cost, you're always best to get a solicitor to draw it up for you, and obviously that's an extra cost not covered by Will Aid as it is not a Will.

Why “always”?  While I agree it might be beyond some people’s skill set, they’re really not that difficult to DIY.

Pollycat

noitsnotme said:

Northern_Wanderer said:

 

Whilst a Power of Attorney can be registered for low cost, you're always best to get a solicitor to draw it up for you, and obviously that's an extra cost not covered by Will Aid as it is not a Will.

Why “always”?  While I agree it might be beyond some people’s skill set, they’re really not that difficult to DIY.

+1 to this.

The LPoA forms have detailed nstructions.

RAS

Classic up-selling. You wanted a will, and got sold POAs and unnecessary trusts that may do what you want.