Beware Free Will Offers

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These generally are not free at all.  You will often be required to sign over a percentage of your estate upon your death, in favour of the organisation offering the free Will.  This can amount to a substantial sum and is a poor exchange for deferring the cost of a Will.  Your Will is a necessity so if cost is an issue, discuss with us whether you are eligible for an instalment plan.  There are times in our lives where we can be asset rich, and cash flow poor.

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In addition, since Wills & Estate Planning was deregulated to allow those other than solicitors to make Wills, combined with the law on contesting Wills appearing to soften a little via case law, combined with the changing nature of families and remarriages, the Courts are inundated with matters surrounding Wills, so much so they are heavily encouraging the use of mediation to lighten the load.

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As such, under discussion with the government with consultation from SWEPP too, is the introduction of greater regulation surrounding Wills.  

It is an area that is a lot more complex than people have come to believe and you only have to pick up a book on the Law of Succession to see this.  Making it easier for people to make their own Wills and have the ability to buy an "off the shelf" Will has lead people to the incorrect assumption that the subject does not require careful thought and thus, the courts are now overloaded.  This in turn has led to large organisations minimising the care and consultation that is required to maximise profits, even though they appear to adhere to the current rules, and again, problems have developed.  Even solicitors have looked into ways to automate will making as much as possible because, due to these changes, the cost of a Will has drastically gone down yet it is labour intensive and expensive to make.  This has created the perfect storm.  Correct consultation and planning with the client is essential.

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There is a reason why us legal consultants practicing in this area have to have significant insurance premiums.  It is complex and easy to get wrong results as the twists and turns in peoples lives never stop, and, it is to ensure that you the client, are protected.