The wrath of Lord Hunt rains down on unregulated Will writers

Two out of three consumers wrongly believe all Will writers are solicitors.

More than eight out of ten wrongly believe Will writers are formally trained and qualified.

Shadow Business Minister Lord Hunt recently produced his Government-commissioned report into the provision of Legal Services highlighting how companies operating on the fringes of the legal market in Will writing, probate and claims handling was now a risk to the public.

Unsurprisingly the comments were swiftly supported by the Law Society and charities alike - particularly those working with elderly or vulnerable people. I can hear the chimes of 'Well you would say that' echoing around the region - but it's not just us.

According to a recent ICM poll, eight out of ten people want Government protection from unregulated Will writers. The poll also highlighted an increasing number of stories about consumers being exploited when making their Wills.

The reality is that lawyers have long been in competition with each other for this type of work and welcome any new entrants into the market - as long as they are providing a reliable and trustworthy service, are insured, can be traced and held to account if matters go wrong.

Unfortunately unregulated Will writers are providing the public with unenforceable Wills on many occasions, while charging for legal services they are not trained or regulated to provide.

In some instances, family members are left out of Wills against the direct wishes of the client.

Will writers often appear much cheaper service but may hide charges for storage or fees for dealing with the property.

Added to that is the complication that as soon as difficulties emerge, quite a few of these Will writers shut up shop with no comeback for their clients, Will documents disappear and bereaved families are left with no recourse.

If you have used a Will writer, you should get the document checked for accuracy and suitability by us before it is too late and leave your loved ones with unnecessary problems.

If you would like advice on writing a Will, would like to speak to a solicitor about checking your Will or have any other personal query, please contact Katherine Neal on katherine.neal@harveyingram.com or call 0116 257 4459.