Consumers urged to seek professional advice when writing a last will and testament

By Elliot Wright, 17th December 2009

Consumers wishing to make a last will and testament are being urged to seek professional help from a solicitor rather than use seemingly cheaper alternatives.

According to a recent report by the Law Society, over half the population avoids using a solicitor when they require legal advice, such as for the drafting of a will, for fears of high costs and complex legal proceedings.

Recently there has been a boom in non-professional will writing services and DIY will writing guides, however the society has warned against these methods as they can lead to inaccurately drafted, and potentially illegal, documents being produced by unqualified individuals.

Customers may be subject to hidden charges such as monthly storage fees, as well as costs associated with cleaning up the aftermath of a badly written last will and testament.

Research by the society also showed that using an unregulated will writer can often end up costing a lot more than a solicitor as customers may be subject to hidden charges such as monthly storage fees, as well as costs associated with cleaning up the aftermath of a badly written last will and testament.

And in some cases it was found that will writers were appointing themselves as executors and offering other legal services for which they were not sufficiently qualified for such as power of attorney - all at an additional cost.

Law Society President Robert Heslett said: "It is a sad fact that for many services such as will writing not seeking legal advice can prove very costly if documents are later found to be inaccurate or unenforceable. In these cases, consumers should seek legal advice immediately and can discuss charges upfront with their solicitor.

"Solicitors are qualified, regulated and insured should something go wrong," he added.

Helpful links:

Claims Financial

Free guide on last will and testaments