WILL SOLICITORS - EXPERT ADVICE
Probate and will solicitors are usually specialists who deal with nothing else. Lawyers who deal with these matters may also handle disputed wills and contested probate cases which can involve considerable litigation often in the High Court of Justice. This particular topic though wide ranging is particularly specialist and The Association of Contentious Trust and Probate Specialists (ACTAPS) exists for those involved in this type of work.
Will solicitors main work consists of drafting legal wills and handling uncontested probate work on behalf of their clients. Whilst it is not essential that a prospective testator uses a solicitor, there are plenty of non qualified cheap services available, including DIY kits however it is advisable to take advantage of a qualified professional. Remember you are dealing with substantial assets here with average house prices of several hundred thousand pounds. A United Kingdom lawyer is highly trained, insured and pays into a compensation fund whilst undergoing continuing professional development in the form of perpetual educational courses. A solicitor is governed by statute and the Law Society and is answerable to the independent Legal Complaints Service in disciplinary matters which has the power to strike off.
The question of fees is often raised and the cost of using will solicitors is usually less than you would expect and is often less than the cost of a non qualified service after all of the extras charged by that service are taken into account. Certainly our solicitors can match the price of any mainstream service quoting on the same basis. The one thing you have to ask yourself is who would you prefer to draft a document that deals with substantial amounts of your money which may take care of your family in the future in the event of your death. The last thing you want is for your family to be involved in a litigated court case revolving around a disputed will or contested probate at the same time as they are grieving over the death of a loved one.
Will solicitors are frequently asked to sort out badly drafted wills which are often found to be void. Inexperienced document drafters make any number of mistakes in these matters the most frequent of which include :-
- failure to properly sign and execute the final draft in accordance with the law invalidates the documents completely
- failure to distribute the estate in part or in full (often due to the document being invalid) thereby allowing the Crown to take the asset or assets
- failure to take account of births, marriages and deaths but most importantly failing to consider the effect s of an impending divorce which invalidates gifts and executorships for a former spouse
- failure to make adequate provision for dependents that often have a priority claim
When our solicitors are making a will they use modern will precedents that have been written in plain English. You will not be bamboozled by legal jargon either on the telephone or in the documents supplied by us. Our charges are very reasonable and depend on the amount of work necessary to carry out your instructions. We are able to provide you with a quotation over the telephone and offer discounts for family wills or mirror wills for spouses.
HELPLINE 0870 185 1842
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