IHT-Solutions

Skype Wills

For a number of years, I have considered offering to my clients the opportunity to give Will instructions by Skype.

I decided not to offer the service as, for various reasons, the technology never worked as well as anticipated.

I am pleased to say that my recent experiences with Skype indicate that the connections are much stronger and a meaningful meeting can now take place.

As such, I can offer appointments to anyone who wishes to make a Will with a specialist solicitor without having to leave the comfort of your own home or office.

My firm's Wills service guarantees:

•  A Free initial consultation
•  A Fixed Fee Service
•  Addititonal Inheritance tax advice (where applicable)
•  Free Registration of your Will with Certainty - The National Will Register  (usual cost £25.00) www.certainty.co.uk
•  Free secure storage of your Will and copies of your signed Will for your use.

To make a mutually convenient appointment, please telephone +44 (0)1202 802807 or e.mail: paul@solomonslaw.co.uk quoting: Skype Wills

I believe this is the first service of its kind by a solicitor in the UK and as an initial incentive, I shall offer a 50% disount on my usual fixed fee for the first 5 people to contact me.  

I look forward to hearing from you.

A "Handy" piece of advice!

Do not handle your own death certificate - Read here

Another reason to make your Will

I was recently on a touring holiday in the UK with my family and had the unusual "pleasure" of getting up late and switching on the hotel room television to watch some daytime television. (Yes, I knew there was a very good reason to go to work!).

Anyway, I was introduced to the joys of Heir Hunters on the BBC, a programme that follows genealogists searching for heirs of people who have died intestate with no family members immediately apparent.

Whilst the individual life stories within the programme certainly appeal on a human interest level, the fundamental point about each story was that in order to save an intestate's estates going to the government, the geneologists were searching for what were at best long lost relatives of the intestate and more often than not distant relatives of  whom the deceased knew nothing and/or had no interest during their lives.

Making a Will, of course, means that you can clearly set out those relatives who you wish to benefit and if you do not wish to benefit any relatives, you can direct that your estate is left to friends or Charities. The key point is that you are in charge and the distributuion of your estate will not be left to the vagaries of the intestacy laws.

This is particularly important where you are a single person or where you are married but have no children of your own.

As always, my advice is to find a solicitor who specialises in Will-writing to advise you.

Why Will-Writers need to be regulated

A report by the Legal Services Ombudsmen as reported here reminds us again of the potential issues that can arise if Wills are written by unregulated Will Writers.

It is well worth remembering that the signing of a Will for the majority of people represents in monetary terms the effective signing of the largest post-dated cheque in their lives.

In these circumstances, it is somewhat concening that some 180,000 Wills per year are currently being prepared by unregulated Will-Writes as against Solicitors or regulated Will-writers.

There are many horror stories regarding Wills prepared by unregulated Will writers but the one that sticks in my mind is the Will writer who closed his business and literally took signed Wills he had prepared to the local rubbish dump for disposal, for which words literally fail me.

As a solicitor who specialises in making Wills, I believe that my clients can take comfort in knowing:

1. That I have many years experience in making Wills and can advise fully on issues relating to tax, trusts and the like, if required. (an unregulated Will writer, can theoratically set up business without any training.

2. That I offer an initial free consultation with a new client and will only then agree a reasonable fixed fee for the Wills service agreed. (There are many stories of Will writers offering a very low fixed price for a Will to entice new customers and then adding additional fees for services which should be part of the Wills package in any event). 

3. That in the event of an error on my part, my clients are covered by my firm's comprehensive professional indemnity policy (although I very much hope that this never needs to be used).

4. That in the event of complaint, my clients can follow a fully regulated complaints procedure leading to the Legal services Ombudsmen, if applicable.

5. That the Wills prepared by my firm are placed in secure custody with paper and electronic copies of the signed Will retained and will continue to be held in this way by another solicitor's firm if my firm no longer existed for any reason.

These points will generally apply to all solicitors who specialise in Will preparation.

As a result, my advice is always to ensure that your Will is prepared by an experienced  solicitor or fully regulated Will-writer who specilises in will-writing.

Why you should make a professionally drawn Will!

A cautionary tale can be found here

In contemplation of marriage !

In contemplation of marriage (or civil partnership) is an old-fashioned phrase but actually has a good deal of relevance in modern Will-writing as more people are living in long-term relationships prior, if ever, to getting married.

In simple terms, if an unmarried couples make Wills and there is any chance that they may enter into marriage at some stage in the future, it makes very good sense to make the Wills - In contemplation of marriage.

The reason for this is that the act of marriage (civil partnership) will automatically revoke any Will previously made unless the Will has been made - in contemplation of marriage. Thus following a marriage each party can automatically become intestate and the rules of intestacy may not in many circumstances meet their requirements.

This may be particularly important in a second marriage situation where one or both parties wish to protect each other whilst still maintaining the interests of their children from their first marriage. Often such a couple may make a Will before marriage incorporating an appropriate trust type but if they later marry without making the Wills - in contemplation of marriage - their best laid plans will be lost and they will need to go to the expense of making another Will after marriage or remain intestate.

The phrase - in contemplation of marriage - is a such a very important tool in Will writers armoury and should always be considered where appropriate.

Of course, if a relationship breaks down after making a Will - in contemplation of marriage, it is equally important that a new Will is made to reflect the new circumstances of the individuals in question.

(As an aside, I once acted for a couple who planned to get married and I made Wills- in contemplation of marriage, for them. No more that 3 months later the man returned with another lady and made a further Will in contemplation of marriage, The disappointed potential bride followed shortly afterwards to amend her Will. At least everyone had been trained well in their legal duties regarding their Wills!)