Why a Cheap Will Could End Up Costing £30k

One legal arrangement we all need to face at some point in our lives is writing a will. While most of us don’t want to think about a time when we are no longer here, making sure your wishes are written down and your property and other assets distributed as you intend can save a lot of heartache and trouble for those left behind. 

 

It can be tempting to go for a cheap, off the shelf solution when it comes to writing a will. There are plenty about if you search online. The trouble is, choosing the wrong will service is likely to cost you money. They can come with hidden stipulations or may not be written correctly, all of which means that problems are likely to occur when your loved ones try to settle your estate. 

 

The Daily Mail recently outlined a NatWest will scheme that was around in the late nineties. While these looked like an affordable and suitable option at the time, it now comes to light that there were certain caveats in the product offered by the bank. The small print actually gave the bank the right to act as executor when a person died. And, unfortunately, they are likely to charge thousands for the privilege. 

 

Nat West weren’t the only bank offering such deals around the turn of the millennium. On the surface, these wills appeared to be a cheap and safe way to get that all-important document written without going to a solicitor. Most had the same stipulation in the small print, and many would instruct their own solicitors to deal with a deceased person’s estate and charge a percentage of the final worth of the assets. 

 

While this could be acceptable if there is a complex estate to manage, the truth is that most are not in this category and the amount charged by the bank’s legal representatives can take a serious chunk out of the final settlement. There are number of these kinds of wills still around which many people have accepted in good faith but don’t realise they could well leave those left behind financially disadvantaged. 

 

 

If you got your will through your bank in the past, it may be prudent to take a second look at the small print. This practice outlines the problems with using a cheap service, even if it is supplied by a business that you would normally expect to be above board. 

 

While writing a will can be a fairly simple affair, it always pays to run it through a legal advisor to make sure you have all the bases covered. The last thing your loved ones probably want after you die is to find that either the will isn’t legally binding or that it has some caveats which they hitherto hadn’t realised. 

 

At DSM Legal, we have qualified solicitors in place who can help you put together a will with the minimum of fuss. That way you can be sure your wishes are going to be respected when you die and your family will be able to handle your estate without too much trouble. If you’d like to talk to our legal team about making a will or want to check your current one, contact DSM Legal Solicitors today on 01925 937070.