Often, in planning and investing for the future and saving money for various financial goals, one forgets an essential aspect of financial planning – writing a will. Although life expectancy is uncertain, creating a will ensures the rightful distribution of wealth and assets after one’s passing. However, will-writing requires skill and tactics, and premium will-writing solicitors have considerable expertise in this area. Still, one must consider a few factors before selecting a will writing service provider.

Things to consider when hiring a will-writing service provider

Check the solicitor’s expertise in will writing
It is important to verify the qualifications and experience of attorneys before hiring them. However, merely hiring a generally qualified and experienced lawyer is not sufficient. So, it is always better to find solicitors specializing in will writing since they can understand the specific technicalities, even when a person’s family dynamics are complex. Also, a lawyer experienced in will writing may be quicker to understand will-related challenges and develop more effective ways to resolve them.

Ask how they generate their bills
Merely asking the total cost of will-writing services may not give one a clear idea about how a will-writing solicitor charges clients. The criteria for creating will-writing charges say volumes about their transparency and credibility. Genuine lawyers will not hesitate to provide a clear breakdown of the different aspects when billing clients and how they decide on a given figure. Ideally, lawyers should generate their bills only after carefully studying a client’s situation, family dynamics, and assets.

Gauge the solicitor’s expertise in language, grammar, and legal terminology
Will-writing solicitors must have perfect diction and excellent writing skills because their job mainly involves writing. Also, since legal terminology needs to be incorporated into wills as relevant, one should ensure that lawyers can use such terms accurately in their wills. One way to gauge their use of legal terminology is to ask for samples of wills written by them and question them on using specific terms in these wills. This way, one understands whether the attorney can draft well-written wills.

Inquire about their availability
Will writing is a major financial decision, so it’s natural for one to have many questions about the process. Also, there might be some sudden changes or legal work required. In such cases, attorneys offering will-writing services should be readily available to answer one’s questions. It is crucial to discuss with the attorney whether someone will be available in the office at all times to assist with any inquiries. Additionally, it’s important to inquire about the attorney’s dedicated business contact number or email ID, which can be used to send requests and receive prompt responses.

Check if the lawyer can upgrade one’s will as needed
While many perceive will writing as a one-time task, it is ongoing because it needs to be updated as and when one acquires new assets and disposes of old ones. For such purposes, will writers should be available to update one’s will as and when required and keep one’s documents up to date.

Inquire about the lawyer’s long-term associations with other clients
A will-writing attorney isn’t just a service provider for the short term. These lawyers associate with their clients long-term, getting to know the details about one’s family members and their dynamics with the client. So, in trying situations or if the client is no more, the attorney can provide all the legal and moral support that the client’s close family members require during their difficult time. For this reason, one should speak with attorneys about how long they have been associated with their clients and ask them for examples of long-lasting collaborations.

Check their broad understanding of other legal matters
Although a will-writing solicitor’s major role is to write wills, they should be reliable points of contact to help, even in other legal matters, if the client or their family members face any legal issues. If the lawyer doesn’t have expertise in a particular legal matter, s/he should be able to provide contacts of professionals specialising in it. So, one should check the will-writing lawyer’s legal expertise in general and contacts in the legal domain.

The average cost of hiring a will-writing attorney
For straightforward wills that are not too complicated, the average cost of will-writing services will be between ₤250 and ₤500. However, the cost varies based on various factors, including the situation’s complexity, the will writer’s experience, and the size of the legal firm. For example, if a client has very complex family dynamics, the will-writing process may take up much time and effort on the attorney’s part, resulting in higher fees. Also, if the legal firm is emerging, the cost might be much lower than if one hires an established legal firm for the process. After considering factors such as family background, expertise, and experience, attorneys’ fees should be discussed in detail.