Recent research by the Law Society has uncovered the risks of using unregulated and uninsured will writers. These risks include badly drafted wills that are invalid, poor inheritance tax planning and hidden charges which mean that the advertised price is lower than the price the customer is charged. Another danger is when a will writing company is wound up and customers’ wills are lost, meaning that customers have to draw up new wills or they will be treated as dying intestate and their estate distributed according to intestacy rules which may not have been what the customer intended.
The Law Society’s research also found some cases of will writers appointing themselves as executors or offering legal services for which they were not regulated such as powers of attorney, obtaining probate and conveyancing at additional costs to the customer. As will writers are unregulated and not necessarily insured, there’s very little or no compensation available to the customer or their family if things go wrong.
At Lawson-West all Wills are drafted under supervision of a solicitor and we are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and, for added peace of mind, also have indemnity insurance in the very unlikely event of something going wrong.
Lawson-West also offer the following services:-
• Will Storage – we will store your will for no extra charge if you make your will with us;
• Free initial consultation so you can talk through your Will with no obligation;
• Will signing – we will do this at our offices and provide witnesses;
• Will copies – if you make your Will with us, we will give you a copy at no extra cost and will make copies for family members if you wish;
• Identifying problems – we will be able to recognise any potential pitfalls with the Will you want to make and will talk these through with you to find a solution;
• Clarity – we will draw up your Will to be as clear and jargon-free as possible. Sometimes it will be necessary to use a specific legal term but we will ensure that your Will is as clear and easy to understand for your executors as possible.
• Challenges to your Will – Wills can be challenged after your death if your relatives suspect you lacked capacity or were under undue influence by a specific person so we will make it clear that any doubts about your Will are removed so reducing the chance of any challenges;
• Choice of executors – we will not insist that you make Lawson-West an executor of your Will and will ensure that you have the executors you choose;
• We can also draw up a Living Will (advance medical directive) which outlines medical treatment you may wish to have or wish not to have or appoints someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapable;
• We can also draw up Lasting Powers of Attorney if you wish to appoint someone to act on your behalf.
If you would like to make a Will, please call 01858 445480 now or complete one of the on-line forms. You can make an appointment at any of our branches in Market Harborough, Wigston or on Uppingham Road in Leicester. We can also arrange a home or hospital visit if you are unable to attend any of our offices due to your ill health.
