Making a will

[matron 22]

Has anyone had experience of writing their will on one of the sites that advertise them and are they legal or is it better to use a solicitor

[factor-fiction]

It depends how complicated your affairs are.

[mrs_overall]

My will is straightforward so I borrowed a book from the library (How to Write Your Own Will) and spent £2 on a will form from the Post Office.
Sorted!

[Barmaid]

They are perfectly legal as long as the requirements for making and executing a will are met.

However, in my experience, I spend a whole lot of time sorting out the mess left by home made wills. I always recommend having a will professionally drawn.

[Purple_Popple]

I would recommend a will writer/solicitor it should cost around £100 and they do take all the hassle out of preparing it & they ask all the right questions and make sure everything it taken into consideration, it makes it so easy. It's not that simple as people seem to think.

[Buenchico]

I used to write wills for a living. However, prior to that I'd had my own will prepared by a solicitor. It was only when i came to study the pitfalls that I realised how many mistakes the 'professional' had made!

My advice is to get hold of a copy of this book:
Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation
(It's in most libraries).
Read it carefully and draft your own will (taking into account all of the "what if?" questions you need to think about). If you're completely confident with what you've got then go ahead and get it signed and witnessed. If not, take your draft to a solicitor and ask him/her to tidy it up.

Chris

[tonywiltshire]

I agree with barmaid as I have spent a good deal of time sorting out the mess created by people not making their intentions clear or not leaving a will, it is surprising how many people do not make a will even those with complicated affairs. The leaving of anything can bring out the best, and unfortunately the worst, in families.
My advice would be to get a solicitor to draft a will for you it will give you peace of mind and is money well spent.

[woofgang]

Where we had our wills done, they throw in free secure storage of the actual document and a digital version for as long as needed. We also paid £30 to have the wills registered at The National Will Register which replaces the registration part of the Probate Office (you used to be able to lodge your will there). There is no point making a will if it isn't stored securely and can be found!