Beware Of Online Will Services

By Author: Steven Tomey
Total Articles: 8
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The internet is probably the most ingenious communication medium since the telephone however caution should be taken when considering making a Will online.

Will drafting is a professional service that is offered by small to medium size solicitors or Will Writing firms, and the revenue created when writing a Will is marginal. So as you would expect the level and integrity of their online security is open to question. To put this into perspective think how much Lloyds Bank Group or Aviva spend each year in manpower alone to stay ahead of the latest hacker techniques? Realistically even the largest legal firms in the country will not have that sort of resource or infrastructure. The alarming thing is a correctly written Will should contain more information that any single one of the financial products that the banks might pedal.

Identification is also a major issue. Most professional Will Writers or solicitors will meet the customer face-to-face and ask for photo-ID to verify the authenticity of the testator (the person who is making the Will). How can this be done satisfactorily over the internet? At best the online ...
... form might ask for a passport number - therefore the potential for impersonation fraud is real and present.

Making a Will is a craft and should not be commoditised which is what the current online Will solutions do. It needs to be personal and reflect the individuals own circumstances and wishes as ‘one-size-fits-all' just simply does not apply. Having conducted a personal interview, a skilled Will Writer will have a broad understanding of future events as well as present circumstances. Therefore, they will write the Will in a format that provides immediate protection but in a flexible manner as to allow for future events. The current online systems are generally not intuitive or indeed inquisitive as they know they need to keep questions to a minimum for someone to complete the online form.

The better online solutions will provide extra information buttons to explain the legal jargon however unlike a Will Writer or Solicitor they cannot double check the conclusion you have reached is indeed correct. The consequences of a badly worded Will can be partial or total demission of the document.

Throughout the process of writing a will your legal consultant can offer advice tailored to your needs; and indentify and explain the use of trusts and inheritance tax avoidance. The online solutions are limited to a narrow path as they know this is the best way to churn out mass production, in doing so they fail to tangibly add any benefit other that the process of Will writing itself.

To conclude, always be wary of supplying sensitive information on the internet, particularly to unknown companies. Think carefully and get professional advice as a Will is your lasting legacy. Taking a cheap online Will and saving £20 upfront could mean your Estate ends up with a 40% tax bill on your death. A Will is a legally binding document and a misspelt word or indeed a misinterpretation of an online question could lead to a Will being set up incorrectly, or worst still sanctioning an action on death in the opposite way than intended.

Richard Stokes
Niche Wills in London | London Will Writers
Members of The Society of Will Writers
www.nichewills.co.uk