An unqualified Will Writer was charged with four counts of theft and one of forgery after inserting a clause into Wills written for his clients. The clause allowed the will writer to determine where money the clients wanted to leave to charities would be allocated. Instead of the money going to good causes, the unqualified will writer used it to fund his lifestyle, including luxury cars and a property in Spain.
Research by the Law Society has found that solicitors specialising in Wills, trusts and probate have seen invalid and badly drafted Wills from unregulated will writers where family members were excluded from a Will against the wishes of the person making the Will. In some cases will writers were appointing themselves as executors and charging for additional legal services they were not authorised to provide. Some will writers had gone out of business and the Wills they held on behalf of clients could not be found.
An unclear Will can cause family disputes and legal battles over inheritances. Where a Will is declared invalid, the deceased’s estate will be divided according to intestacy laws and may not reflect the deceased’s wishes.
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 will also store your Will at no extra charge if you make your Will with us and we will give you a copy and make copies for family members if you wish.
We offer a free initial consultation so you can outline what you want your Will to say and we can identify any potential problems and suggest solutions. We will try to make your Will as jargon-free as possible so that your executors can understand your wishes. We do not insist you make Lawson-West one of your executors.
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.
