Making a Will is a very personal experience. You will make decisions on what should happen with all of your assets and possessions after you’ve gone. It can be difficult to decide who has what and when they have it. “Modern” families mean that there can be tensions between inheritance for natural children against that of step children. Then there are situations where you might not be married and aren’t sure who would inherit what if you don’t make a Will. Finally, there’s a whole lot of technical law to understand around Legal Rights for your surviving spouse or partner as well as Prior Rights if you don’t make a Will.
You might wonder why we’ve started this article in this way. The reason for that is simple. Making your Will isn’t as straightforward or simple as you might think it is. It’s certainly not a simple form-filling exercise.
What’s going in in the Wills marketplace just now?
We’re seeing lots of different organisations offering Will writing services. In fact, we’re seeing everything from funeral directors to insurance companies offering this service. You really have to ask yourself why they’re doing this. This simple answer is that they see this as another route to making money out of you.
Funeral Directors provide funeral services. That doesn’t qualify them to give you advice on making your Will.
Insurance companies sell insurance policies. Does that qualify them to give you advice on making your Will?
There are a whole range of people trying to get into this market because they perceive they will reap huge benefits once you pass away and they can then make quite a lot of money out of winding up your estate!
Why you should choose a lawyer to make your Will
The answer to that is quite simple, really. As lawyers we need to study and understand this area of law. We are fully qualified to answer all your questions and to give you advice about what happens when you make a Will and, importantly, what might happen if you fail to make a Will.
In addition, it’s very important to understand and appreciate that lawyers must have Professional Indemnity Insurance cover which will compensate clients if the lawyer makes a mistake. Lawyers also contribute to a solicitors compensation scheme. That means if someone in the law firm steals your money, you will be compensated.
You might think that won’t matter when making a Will as there won’t be any dealings with your money or assets. However, consider this. If those helping you to make your Will also persuade you to allow them to wind up your estate, what safeguards are in place to protect you from someone making a mistake or, worse still, running off with your money?
We want to ensure our clients have the best possible advice and the highest level of protection. That’s why we believe everyone should use a solicitor to make a Will.
Carr Berman Crichton has been advising clients on making their Will for many years. If you would like to find out more, please click here. If you would like to arrange an appointment or to discuss your Will, please call us on 0141 647 9851 or click here to email us.