W W P
  Wills Without Pain
  Unbiased information on all aspects of wills and probate in England and Wales
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This website contains basic legal information concerning wills, probate and inheritance tax, summaries of court cases, actual wills of famous people and celebrities, legal terms and other material.

To find something specific, start with the Menu on each page. You can also use the Search box near the top of each page to locate additional references to people, cases, terms and other data.

 

 

 

 

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Will Writers


Spoiled for choice

Solicitors

Professional Will-Writers

Banks

Charities

Insurance Companies

Yourself, using a pre-printed form, often in conjunction with a how-to book.

Yourself, starting with a blank sheet of paper.

Yourself, interacting over the internet with a professional via an insurance company or other provider.

Solicitors

Choose carefully. All solicitors carry indemnity insurance and are qualified to prepare wills, but some have more practice and expertise than others - in financial planning as well as will-writing. But solicitors have been known to prepare unwise and even invalid wills.

The Law Society has a probate section which provides support to solicitors whose work involves probate; inheritance tax; elderly client advice; wills; trusts; lasting power of attorneys; and related property law.

Will-Writing Organisations

Professional will writers are trained specifically in writing wills.

One of several prominent organisations, the Society of Will Writers notes that "All our members are required to carry Professional Indemnity Insurance." Policies are valid for a calendar year, after which they need to be renewed.

Members of the Institute of Professional Willwriters, which was founded in 1991, must pass an exam prepared by the IPW itself "or an equivalent run by the Law Society, the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, the Institute of Legal Executives or the Chartered Institute of Bankers."

Members are also required to attend Continuing Professional Development courses.

Banks, insurance companies, charities and other organisations will help you write your will or connect you with someone - often though not necessarily a lawyer - who will draft it for you. Some will-writers will come to your home. It is also possible to get professional advice using the internet, typically by filling in an online form which you upload to be checked by a solicitor or other professional and then returned to you.

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This website provides general information only which does not constitute advice for legal, tax, investment or other purposes. Professional advice tailored to your particular circumstances is strongly advised.

Copyright © 2008-9 Robert Liebman. All rights reserved.