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Original poster

HOW? WHERE? CAN WE MAKE A WILL WITHOUT USING A SOLICITOR?

26 replies

egypt · 15/11/2006 13:20

Heard you can a package and make one yourself. We need to do this imminently and dont want the expense if can be spared. Anyone know?

Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
egypt · 15/11/2006 13:20

heard you can BUY a package that it!

OP posts:
TheBlonde · 15/11/2006 13:22

whsmith sell them

MissGolightly · 15/11/2006 13:24

DP and I made wills using a pack from WH Smiths. It has a form you can write on directly, but we wanted a slightly different format so we typed it out, being careful not to alter the wording.

If you are married and have fairly simple testamentary wishes (ie all to my husband/wife and failing that, all to my kids or other relatives) it's ideal. If you were unmarried at the time your kids were born or have complicated family setups you might want to get a solicitor to check it as there may be guardianship issues over the kids. Having said that, DP and I are not married and took the chance as I can't see any of our relatives contesting the will.

hulababy · 15/11/2006 13:26

You can but please don't!

If you need a will (who doesn't?) please have one drawn up properly by someone who knows what they are doing.

I write this on so many threads recently. But a badly drawn up DIY will is often worst than no will at all. DH makes more money for his firm from sorting out DIY and will writer wills than he deoes from writing a decent will in the first place.

Judd · 15/11/2006 13:28

Hiya Egypt, Smiths do one for about a tenner. Ours had a CD rom inside which let you load up different wills for different requirements. We just did "mirror wills" where you leave everything to each other and then to a third party in the event of a joint demise (sorry, that sounds odd but feel squeamish writing it differently). There's also an information sheet to help you through it all.

Freckle · 15/11/2006 13:29

I'm with hulababy. There are so many things to save money on. Making a will is not one of them. If it is not done properly, it is those who are left behind who have to unravel the mess.

A badly drawn up will is worse than none at all.

Original poster
egypt · 15/11/2006 17:49

thanks everyone. dh is adamant at doing it without a sol. ours would be pretty straightforward. there seems to be a lot of online ones,, but that scares me a bit.

OP posts:
TinkersBollocks · 15/11/2006 19:41

We did ours today. Would urge you to speak to a solicitor. Ours is very complicated but initial consultation should be free.

Azul2006 · 28/11/2006 19:40

Has anyone know how much (roughly) are the legal fees for a solicitor to help us draft the will? we are married with a child? Thanks

Tinker · 28/11/2006 19:42

My partner's cost £95 plus VAT - his was fairly straightforward. Think you could pay less but we didn't shop around for a solicitor.

Azul2006 · 28/11/2006 20:05

Thanks for that. Was that in London?

hulababy · 28/11/2006 20:26

DH is a partner (salaried, not equity) specialising in wills, probate and tax/trust planning. He charges £125 plus VAT for a simple will. For a tax planning will his fee is £400-£450 plus VAT. This is about average for the area.

Skyler · 28/11/2006 20:42

It is Will aid month this month and we saw our solicitor today. We shall just make a donation of what we can afford when she has done the work for us. Even if you do one with a pack this year why not see a solicitor during Willaid month next year to get one for what you can afford?

Skyler · 28/11/2006 20:42

They recommend a donation of £120 I think as that is the average cost of joint wills before VAT. HTH

FloatingInTheMoonlitSky · 28/11/2006 20:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SaintGeorge · 28/11/2006 20:45

It is just a recommendation floating. You give as much as you can.

It is very nearly the end of the month though and many solicitors will have limited how many appointments they take under the scheme so get phoning round quick.

morningpaper · 28/11/2006 20:45

Ours was £70 each

Amazes me how people spend a fortune getting married but want to save money by doing wills themselves

barking

hulababy · 28/11/2006 20:49

Just asked DH for you - apparantly a very few handful of firms do wills on legal aid for those on benefits/single parents but you must be appointing guardians for your children. Only way to find out which solicitors do these would be to phone round.

Willaid would be best way if you can get a solicitor's firm near you doing it - donation is entirely voluntary.

FloatingInTheMoonlitSky · 28/11/2006 20:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hulababy · 28/11/2006 20:55

Yes, that is guardianship. Do remember however that the guardianship bit is not legally binding and can be contested or declines. However a court will always take your wishes into serious consideration if it went to court.

Skyler · 28/11/2006 20:55

Yes sorry I was not clear. We will just donate on line and so my solicitor won't even know how much I don't think. She was certainly not interested. You can pay £10 if that is all you have. I think it is an amazing scheme.

fennel · 28/11/2006 20:59

Ok I have a will question. If you and DP have wills and they were done properly with a solicitor, and then you got married, the wills will be invalid. But if you did it properly with the solicitor the first time, presumably you could just copy your old will out again, but changing references from DP to DH, and get two new witnesses to sign it and it would be as valid as the fist (legally advised) one was?

hulababy · 28/11/2006 21:03

(a) if your wills were originally made in contemplation of marriage then they would be still valid. There will be a statement at the start of your will saying something along these lines "I make this will in contemplation of my marriage to xxx and the said will shall to be revoked by the said marriage." If not made in comtemplation of marriage then the will is invalid.

DH now on phone...will reply to second part when back....

hulababy · 28/11/2006 21:11

DH says professonally he couldn't comment on the second part of the question.

fennel · 28/11/2006 21:37

thanks Hulababy. will have to wait for a non-lawyer to comment