Author Archive

Coronavirus update 26/03/2020

Thursday, March 26th, 2020

During this uncertain time we have adapted to the new ways of working and using technology to help us. Going forward Wilkes Wills is carrying out appointments via Facetime, WhatsApp video calls and over the telephone, and will post Wills for signing.

It’s important that we follow the current safety advise, but still allows us to help our clients. So please get in touch.

Remember A Charity – Campaign Supporter

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

Wilkes Wills has signed up to be a Campaign Supporter of Remember A Charity, and we’re very proud of this.

Remember A Charity work tirelessly to promote the importance of making charitable gifts in Wills. Please check out their website to find out more about the important work that they do to support over 140 charities www.rememberacharity.org.uk.

Advice on how to find a decent Will provider

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW) issues advice on how to find a decent Will provider

There has been a lot of activity in the press recently about Will-writing following the publication of a report by the Legal Services Consumer Panel which recommended that the provision of Will-writing services should be regulated. Comments have also been made by the Legal Services Ombudsman, who deals with complaints arising from the provision of services in the regulated legal sector, highlighting his frustration that his service was unable to deal with a number of complaints that have arisen in the un-regulated legal sector, including Will-writing.

The IPW provides its own form of regulation of its members which we maintain is at least equal to that in the regulated legal sector and has welcomed the conclusions of the Legal Services Consumer Panel and understands the frustrations of the Legal Services Ombudsman. However we are concerned that a picture is emerging that is creating confusion about who is best placed to provide a Will-writing service. Headlines have appeared recently such as ‘1,000’s are being ripped off by Will-writers’. We believe this to be scare-mongering and with no evidence to support this claim and we are concerned that this could lead to even fewer people making a Will.

IPW chairman Paul Sharpe said, “Cowboy Will-providers, whether they are solicitors or Will-writers don’t wear a Stetson so it’s not easy to spot them, so the IPW has today issued a 10 point checklist to help anyone wishing to purchase a Will to wise up and to identify who is best placed to provide a Will-writing service for them and to protect themselves from falling prey to a cowboy. “

Top Tip 1Understand the market. There are two sorts of providers in the market place – solicitors and Will-writers. All solicitors are regulated. Some Will-writers are regulated by the IPW through its Code of Practice which has been approved by the Office of Fair Trading, but Will-writers who are not members of the IPW will be subject to a weaker form regulation, or no regulation at all.

Top Tip 2 Check that your Will-provider knows what they are talking about. Will-writers are not the only people who can offer Wills without any qualifications in the subject. A solicitor can become qualified as a solicitor without studying Wills. Ask about qualifications and training and ask to see evidence of their expertise. If they refuse or are offended by your request – look elsewhere.

Top Tip 3 Check that your Will-provider has professional indemnity insurance. This insurance will compensate your beneficiaries if a mistake is made in your Will. It is mandatory for all solicitors to have this insurance and it is mandatory for all members of the IPW to have this cover.

Top Tip 4 Be suspicious of low cost Wills and special offers and prices quoted ‘from £x’ and prices quoted ‘for a basic Will’. If it looks too good to be true, then that is exactly what it will be. Some providers set their fees for Wills at temptingly low prices just to get you ‘on the hook’ and then sell you other services at unnecessarily high costs in order to make the transaction profitable. Others offer never ending, apparently discounted, special offers. If a Will costs less than £100 for a single person or £150 for a couple (excluding VAT), then it’s difficult to understand how money is being made, unless corners are being cut or money is being made elsewhere. Check if the prices quoted need to have VAT added to them.

Top Tip 5 Ask to see a price list of ALL the services provided by your Will-provider. These other services, such as Lasting Powers of Attorney and trusts may be to your advantage but some providers charge extortionate prices for these services because they are not part of the headline cost of making a Will. You need to understand what the full cost of the service to you could be because the cheapest Will may not be the cheapest solution for you.

Top Tip 6 Ask if you can change your mind without being liable for costs. If you see a Will-provider in your home, the law gives you a 7 day cooling off period, but you can waive this right. Be suspicious if your Will-provider asks you to waive this right unless you particularly need your Will completed urgently.

Top Tip 7 If you are asked to pay for any transaction before it is completed, find out what happens if your Will-provider fails to deliver the service, or it is delivered late or you are not happy with it. Any member of the IPW who collects a payment ‘up front’ has to be part of a scheme run by the IPW that will refund the payment or provide for the service to be completed by another member in these circumstances.

Top tip 8 Be aware that you do not have to appoint the Will-provider as the executor of your Will. Administering your estate may not be difficult so you can appoint family or friends. If they get into difficulties, they can always employ a professional to help them with some or all of the work – and agree fees with them accordingly.

Top Tip 9 NEVER pay a fee at the time of making your Will for someone to provide assistance after your death to administer your estate. There can be no guarantee that the firm that you pay the money to will still be in business when you die and therefore will be able to provide the service that you have paid for.

Top Tip 10 Find out what happens if things go wrong. A decent Will-provider should provide you with this information without you having to ask for it. If you choose a solicitor you can refer matters to the Legal Ombudsman and if you choose a member of the IPW you can refer matters to the Estate Planning Arbitration Scheme (EPAS). Both are completely independent.

A Festive offer with Wilkes Wills

Thursday, November 25th, 2010

If you would like your Wills written but don’t want to spend the money before Christmas then we have the perfect offer for you…. read on.

If you make an appointment with Wilkes Wills between now and the end of January 2011 we are offering you an 10% discount on the basic price of a single or mirror Will(s).

Our normal price for a single basic Will is £125.00 – reduced to £112.50, and a basic mirror Will is £180.00 – reduced to £162.50

and …..

10% off Lasting Powers of Attorneys.

The normal price of an LPA is £240, but for this special offer period only we are provided LPA’s completed and registered for £216.00.

Please call us on 01494 815257 to make an appointment or email us at info@wilkeswills.co.uk.

Exposed: Banks that prey on the bereaved

Friday, June 18th, 2010

From the Daily Mail’s Money Mail supplement on Tuesday 16th June 2010

Bereaved families are being preyed upon by banks and unregulated probate firms which charge thousands of pounds to execute the estate of their loved ones.

Money Mail and consumer group Which? have seperately investigated the often-murky world of Will-writing and probate services – the legal process of handling the affairs of the deceased. We found shocking evidence of:

  • High street banks charging almost twice as much as solicitors for probate services:
  • Grieving relatives subjected to “hard-sell” tactics:
  • Banks automatically appointing themselves as executors of Wills;
  • Unregulated firms left free to give poor advice; and
  • Bereaved families prevented from shopping around for better deals.

They found Banks charge an average of £10,830 for executing a typical estate of £270,000, double the £4,759 charged by Will-writers and £5,199 by Solicitors. Barclays is the most expensive of hte High Street giants, with an average charge of £13,395.

A common ploy by Banks is to lure customers in with cheap Wills costing as little as £75.

The article goes on to say that that for professional help and advice about writing your Wills use a solicitor or a will-writer from a reputable body such as the Institute of Professional Will Writers – like me!