DIY will – a good idea?
So you know you ought to make a will but you think it’s going to be expensive… What do you do? One of those DIY wills will do nicely right? Think again!
According to a recent article in the Law Gazette, the number of inheritance disputes heard in the High Court has increased by 62% in the last year. A staggering increase from 227 in 2018 to 368 in 2019.
This rise is blamed to a large degree on the growing popularity of DIY wills. It is so easy to make an error when drawing up a DIY will and one seemingly small error or omission can have a very big effect on the outcome. At best it could make it difficult for your chosen executor to administer, and at worse it can make your will completely invalid.
If you do not know exactly what you are doing, what you intend for your assets may not be what actually happens. By consulting a professional you will have the reassurance that your wishes will be carried out, particularly as probate law is very complex and every family circumstance is different.
Causing unnecessary, additional stress for your close friends or family is something that most of us would want to avoid at all costs. We certainly would not like to think that our attempts at cutting costs could in fact lead to our loved ones having to defend our wishes in a court.
With this in mind, when consulting a professional to draw up your will, you need to consider that not only are you paying for the document itself but, just as importantly, you are paying for the knowledge, skill and advice of the lawyer. This could save you or your estate a lot of money in the future.
Why not find out how much a professionally drawn up will would cost? You may be surprised how inexpensive it actually is. And what price would put on your own peace of mind?
If you would like to discuss the writing or updating of your will, contact me directly via claire.warner@GAsolicitors.com or call 01752 203500. You can also find out more about our will writing service here.
