DIY Will Making

jellywobbles

Hi Guys 'n' Gals

Not sure if this is the correct place to ask this, but here goes ..

Has anyone got any experience of using a "DIY Will making kit" or one of the "on-line" services?

Any tips / advice / warnings would be very welcome.

Thanks

JW

CLAPTON

the most important part of making a will is having a very very clear view of your own wishes... try writing that down first.
the technical bits ... revoking previous wills, properly witnessed etc are pretty straightforward... I'ld suggest a trip to the library and read a book (which do one) on writing your own will.

Stephen_Leak

If your affairs are very simple and there is no chance of anyone contesting the will, the DIY ones can be OK.

If not, use a solicitor.

In any event, any will is better than none. My ex-wife-to-be's father assumed that everything would be divided equally after he died, and didn't bother with one. However, the only way to split it equally would have been to sell the house. It was sorted eventually, but it split the family and the only ones to really gain were the solicitors.

Jake'sGran

I did make one with a form run off one of the Internet sites that do them. It was very simple and I was quite happy about it. After this I did an estimate of my estate and realised I needed some advice due to IHT. I typed everything out for me and my husband as we were not having mirror wills and then went to see a solicitor I had used before. Turned out to be less expensive than I thought and also that I did not need to involve the use of trusts which was a relief. People will say that you should always see a solicitor but I do believe if it is to be a very simple one you can do it yourself. Remember to have it witnessed properly.

Willman_Rodders

What is your [spare] time worth to you? e.g £10 an hour? £20? Or even priceless?

How long do you think it will take you to read up, understand, and write out your will. An hour? 2 hours? (It takes me 1 1/2 hours just to explain the options to my clients) 10 hours?

So, how much will it cost you to make your own will?

Now find a solicitor or a will writer and ask them how much they will charge?
They'll almost certainly be cheaper - and that's before you get to the time when your will is important - on your death. that's when your family often start to argue over what this or that phrase actually meant.


And every time your hear of a story where a will has gone wrong you'll be wondering if actually you have made a mistake. And if you have there will be no protection; no professional indemnity cover for your executors can claim off.

Now some facts. When I draft a will - even a simple will - it will include 15 or so adminstration clauses (or to put it another way: 6 pages of typing); these are in addition to the distribution of the estate, appointments, legacys, and revocation clauses. Those clauses are designed to protect your estate, or your executor, or your family; proven precedents that work. Your DIY will, or 'Make your own will' book usually contain just a few of these clauses.


It is rumoured that Solicitors earn more from disputed hand written and DIY wills than actually drafting wills.

This site is about money saving. I would recommend you use a professional will writer. In the long term this will save you money. This viewpoint is echoed by the National Consumer Council. See page 10 of their report....

http://www.ncc.org.uk/nccpdf/poldocs/NCC174rr_finding_the_will.pdf

One final thought: You can save money by cutting your own hair, growing your own vegetables, making your own bread, and making your own clothes. But do you?

localhero

6 pages of admin clauses for a simple Will - is that really necessary?

Willman_Rodders

Hi Localhero,

It's good to have you back; I was wondering what had happened to you.

Your right; both the numbers and page count have been exaggereted. In a very simple will the number of pages of admin clauses in around 2 1/2 to 3 - with the will being 6 pages in length (including the attestation page.) The number of pages will obviously depend upon the style of drafting and font size.

In a very simple will (single adult, single beneficiarary with no gift over, no children, no charity, no trusts etc) the number of admin clauses is around 10.

My apologies. Thanks Localhero for correcting me.

Your post did make me think. I cannot recall ever drafting such a simple will. In all my wills there has either been (at least) a potential for a child to inherit, or a gift to a charity.

Perhaps there is a point here. By seeing a professional the testator is made aware of all the options available to them, and the aspects they should be aware of. Another reason for using the services of a professional?

Powerful_Pierre

I can never understand why anyone would even consider making a DIY will. Why? To save money? My wife worked for many years in a solicitors office and without doubt the most expensive estates to wind up were those that had a DIY will and in the process it sometimes tore families apart. I would never consider doing anything as important as a will myself unless I had special knowledge or training. Go to a solicitior - should cost less than £200 and will save your estate a fortune.