Wollens Partner and Private Practice Practitioner Charlotte McGregor looks at the current process and immeasurable, helpful changes to legislation.
As restrictions continue we (lawyers) are yet again required to think creatively about how to provide the best possible levels of service.
The truth is that the lessons we learned during the Lockdowns have not left us. This time around we are far more confident that we can offer the same service levels to clients and in fact, far more flexibly than ever before, which can only be of benefit to all.
When making a Will, our lawyers are concerned to ensure that we can cover off the following:
- Clear instructions about what it is you wish to achieve – i.e. who has what and why.
- Whether you are giving those instructions freely – i.e. no one is putting you under any pressure to leave them or someone else, something in your Will.
- That you have sufficient capacity to create a new Will.
We are confident that by offering clients a range of options for taking Will instructions that we can satisfy ourselves on all of the above considerations and our clients have been delighted at the tailor made approach that we have been able to offer them.
The majority of instructions will be taken in a non-contact way by using video conferencing (which has improved immeasurably in what is still a relatively short space of time), completion of an online questionnaire, by phone or with a mixture of all these where appropriate.
Wollens Partner, Charlotte McGregor
We also appreciate that you might require a face to face meeting. If that is the case then as key workers, we have the authority and appropriate PPE to enable all parties to remain safe.
It has also been a blessed relief that legislation has been introduced (albeit temporarily until 31st January 2022) to enable the video witnessing of Wills. This is a hugely helpful and enormous change for the better particularly as the Wills Act has not been updated since 1837!
Changes in legislation would usually take years to enact and yet this update and modernisation has come into effect at lightening speed. In my view it is not something to use routinely but rather where there is no opportunity for an in-person witness to attend. However, it is there as an ‘if all else fails” safety net.
To assist people in making their will Wollens are currently offering up to 50% discount when our online questionnaire is used. You can access the questionnaire here.
To start the process and use the wills tool please click here
If you have not yet made a Will or want to update an existing one, then please contact our Wills team today; we’d be delighted to assist you.
You can contact Charlotte [email protected]
Direct Dial : 01392 539195