Making a will via will writer or solicitor and can I keep will in my home?

wilkko73

I'm wondering who people have used to make wills,have you gone to a local solicitor or used a a will writer?  My will would would be a simple one with a home being left to my son.
Also can anyone tell me if you were able to keep the original will that you paid for in your own home or do solicitor's insist on them storing it.I would like to keep it in my home in a safe space so my son isn't talked in to buying probate services from them when the time comes when he asks for the will.

Emmia

wilkko73 said:

I'm wondering who people have used to make wills,have you gone to a local solicitor or used a a will writer?  My will would would be a simple one with a home being left to my son.
Also can anyone tell me if you were able to keep the original will that you paid for in your own home or do solicitor's insist on them storing it.I would like to keep it in my home in a safe space so my son isn't talked in to buying probate services from them when the time comes when he asks for the will.

You can store the will with the government courts and tribunals service, and your son will be under no pressure to use a solicitor to wind up your estate.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/store-a-will-with-the-probate-service/how-to-store-a-will-with-the-probate-service

 In terms of making the will use a solicitor, not a will writer.

twopenny

Solicitor. It can be cheaper or free if you leave a small amount to charity. Look up who's doing it now.

The benefit of letting a solicitors keep it is that they have fireproof and flood proof safes.
If you have left someone as executor which you need to they unlikely to press for the job.

You can keep a copy at home.
You can keep the original at home but where it won't get damaged or lost.

It's helpful to include in the document or separately with it, your wishes for your funeral. That's caused a row or two and extra anxiety if that hasn't been stated.

wilkko73

Emmia said:

wilkko73 said:

I'm wondering who people have used to make wills,have you gone to a local solicitor or used a a will writer?  My will would would be a simple one with a home being left to my son.
Also can anyone tell me if you were able to keep the original will that you paid for in your own home or do solicitor's insist on them storing it.I would like to keep it in my home in a safe space so my son isn't talked in to buying probate services from them when the time comes when he asks for the will.

You can store the will with the government courts and tribunals service, and your son will be under no pressure to use a solicitor to wind up your estate.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/store-a-will-with-the-probate-service/how-to-store-a-will-with-the-probate-service

 In terms of making the will use a solicitor, not a will writer.

Thank you.

wilkko73

Thank you @twopenny.I wasn't in the greatest space when my mum died and ended up using one of the solicitors packages for help in probate that's just me though and I really wanted my son not to have anything to do with them really unless of course he does find himself struggling but even then he could get help from free sources.So that's why I don't want the solicitor to even be given the chance to offer to act for him.In my view that's why they look after people's documents so they keep you close for future business as you will have to interact with them.

RAS

The HMCTS will send you a "receipt", which you need to share with your son, so he has the details needed retrieve the will. 

I'd suggest leaving a copy in any file you create that has details of your funeral wishes, LPA, accounts, etc.

And maybe use the Free Wills month if solicitors in your area taking part.

DullGreyGuy

twopenny said:

The benefit of letting a solicitors keep it is that they have fireproof and flood proof safes.

Thats the hope... a friend's wife who died recently has yet to find the original will, the law firm they used has been sold and moved offices 3 times in the 12 years since they made their wills. At present the law firm have only been able to find a poor quality photo copy of it. 

boingy

DullGreyGuy said:

twopenny said:

The benefit of letting a solicitors keep it is that they have fireproof and flood proof safes.

Thats the hope... a friend's wife who died recently has yet to find the original will, the law firm they used has been sold and moved offices 3 times in the 12 years since they made their wills. At present the law firm have only been able to find a poor quality photo copy of it. 

My cousin is in the same situation. The original family firm was sold when the main chap retired then the firm that bought it were themselves bought by a bigger fish. Their initial stance was that they don't have the will nor any responsibility for it!

Emmia

boingy said:

DullGreyGuy said:

twopenny said:

The benefit of letting a solicitors keep it is that they have fireproof and flood proof safes.

Thats the hope... a friend's wife who died recently has yet to find the original will, the law firm they used has been sold and moved offices 3 times in the 12 years since they made their wills. At present the law firm have only been able to find a poor quality photo copy of it. 

My cousin is in the same situation. The original family firm was sold when the main chap retired then the firm that bought it were themselves bought by a bigger fish. Their initial stance was that they don't have the will nor any responsibility for it!

I think this is a good argument to use the HMCTS service, they're unlikely to get taken over by a bigger fish! Yes, it's not free, but helping people avoid the stress when you're gone must be worth it?

Keep_pedalling

I think one issue here is that people make a will and then forget it, but wills need to be reviewed regularly (every 5 years or so) and included in that review should be storage. We see lots of issues on here with wills that are decades old that contain inappropriate trusts, aging or deceased executors and professional executors who no longer exist. 

RAS

Even when the firm still exists and they have the will in storage, you can find them reluctant to release it. They are hoping you don't have a copy and don't know their ex-colleague was a personal executor not the firm. And you'll roll over and they'll get £xxxxx to administer, plus the conveyancing fees if there's a house.