Three years ago, I used a solicitor on Chiswick High Road - Elnora Terakopian of Owen White & Catlin - to write my Will.She charged £125 + VAT and gave me a lot of advice and tips on what to include and how to arrange things. I would certainly recommend her.She also told me that a hand-written Will I had previously prepared was perfectly legal, as it was clear and straightforward and had been signed and dated by two witnesses etc. She was less positive about the fact that I had written additional info on the back of it though.My guess is that if your Will is very straightforward, in terms of what assets you have, and Trust funds or other legal tax avoidance schemes, and who you are leaving it all to, the DIY option is fine. If there is a level of complexity and any possibility of a challenge in the future, it's probably worth getting it done professionally.I used Elnora as her company had previously done such a good job when I bought my house - I'm sure you could get it done cheaper by another solicitor or Will writer.Alternatively, you could ask to look at a copy of a friend's Will and use the same wording but change the important names and addresses. As an Executor for a couple of friends, most Wills I've seen are very similar and leave all goods etc to a surviving spouse or to any children or other descendants, split evenly.
Phil Kay ● 3812d