When you decide to write your Will, it is possibly one of the most important financial planning steps you can take to protect your family. So how do you go about finding someone write a Will for you? How do you go about choosing a Will Writer?
The first thing to be aware of is that if your Will has not been properly drafted or not signed and witnessed correctly then it can actually be invalid upon your death.
With that in mind, it pays to make sure you choose a Will Writer that is experienced and appropriately qualified, but also choosing someone who is regulated. Will Writing is an unregulated industry, which means that anyone can set up a Will Writing company without any qualifications, experience or regulation. It is not a reserved legal activity so it is not regulated by the Law Society.
Despite Will Writing not being regulated by the Law Society, there are self regulatory organisations that Will Writers can join. These organization act as a self-regulatory body to vet practitioners through stringent membership requirements, proficiency standards and ongoing training, which includes the Society of Will Writers
Why is being a member of the Society of Will Writers important?
If the Will Writer you have chosen is a current member, you can be confident that they have not only had ongoing training and development but also works to a strict code of practice and will have all the insurances in place for your peace of mind.
Members of the Society of Will Writers are Will Writing specialists – not legal ‘general practitioners’. Some Solicitors are not averse to people making their own Wills as they make money out of dealing with the problems of a DIY Wills whereas members of the Society of Will Writers don’t have this conflict of interest.
All of the Trusted Law team are members of the Society of Will Writers and have experience in dealing with both basic but also very complex family situations. Natalie, the owner, is also legally qualified and legally trained – to read more about us here.
Even with the most simple family setups, there are still key elements to get right in the writing of a new Will to ensure it is valid.
Your considerations for choosing your Will Writer
You need to consider how you are going to complete your Will. What is going to be most convenient for you? Are you looking to visit their offices, or would you prefer them to visit you at home?
We are Will Writers in Wymondham and cover Norwich as well as the rest of Norfolk regularly. Not all Will Writers cover such a wide area and may look for you to visit them, so consider how local they are to you when making your decision.
It might be, as with the Covid pandemic, that you would prefer to have a video call on Zoom or telephone appointment. Ask your Will Writer before making your appointment if they can offer you what works best for you.
Here are some simple questions you may like to research or ask your Will writer
- Are they regulated? If so, by whom? eg. the Society of Will Writers, the Law Society
- Can they provide testimonials or public reviews from previous clients?
- Do they offer home appointments, or the option to talk remotely?
- Is tax planning part of the Will writing service?
- Do they provide safe storage of the completed Will?
Whilst we would love you to choose Trusted Law to write your Will, we hope you find this article useful when thinking about what to consider when you are choosing a Will Writer.