What Is A Will?
A will is an expression of your wishes to be carried out at the time of your passing, furthermore, it distributes your estate as per your wishes.
Do I need a solicitor to make my Will?
No! Why?
A Will can be written by anyone who is of sound mind and over 18 years of age.
Why don’t I write my own Will?
The issue you have when a layperson makes a Will is that it still needs to be correct and cover all the relevant points, it can be very costly if wrong, you don’t get a second chance to do it again.
Where do I get help and advice?
Today many companies can help you, solicitors being one, but most professional services now come from Will and Estate planning advisors. These are companies generally linked to a society or trust company and they will have Professional Indemnity insurance for the client’s protection. They will have been trained by the Trust companies and have ongoing development and 2nd opinion backup from the licensed company.
They will also follow the S.T.E.P code of practice. If they don’t then you should consider whether to take advice from this source.
So what is the difference?
Solicitors will generally take your instructions, this can be a moot point but if all they do is take instructions then this means they are not advising you. No Comeback!
Estate Planners are generally different they want to give advice and guidance and are specialist in this field of legal work, They will do a fact-find, they will ask questions, about what concerns you and your family, they will talk about care in the community, Marriage after Death, Divorce or separation of your children after they have inherited, inheritance tax etc: