Will writer or solicitor? An honest answer.
We write Wills for a living, so you would expect us to say use a will writer. The truth is it depends on your situation, and for some families a solicitor really is the better choice. Here is how the two compare.
What a will writer does well
A good will writer spends the time on the conversation. We come to your kitchen table in the evening, listen to how your family actually works, and write a Will that says what you mean. The fee is agreed at the start and it doesn't move, so you're never watching the clock.
For most families, a Will, a couple of lasting powers of attorney and perhaps a trust over the family home is exactly the kind of work a will writer handles every week.
When you should see a solicitor
There are times when we'll tell you to go elsewhere. If someone is already arguing about an estate, if there's a business or farm with real inheritance tax complexity, if assets are spread across other countries, or if there's a live dispute over someone's capacity, you want a solicitor who can act in court.
Saying so costs us the work, but sending you down the wrong road would cost your family far more.
What about regulation?
Solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Will writing itself is not a reserved activity in England and Wales, so the honest thing to say is that the protections are different. Ask any will writer what insurance they carry, what their fee covers and what happens if something goes wrong. We are happy to answer all three before you commit to anything.
The worst option
It isn't the will writer and it isn't the solicitor. It's not doing it at all, or filling in a supermarket kit and getting the witnessing wrong. That's what leaves families sorting out a mess at the worst possible time.