A recent IRN Legal Report reviewed the purchasing habits of consumers in relation to Will Writing and estate planning services in 2024. The results show some slightly concerning trends, namely that, although the number of people preparing Wills has increased (up to 41% of those surveyed), the number of people using professionals (either solicitors or will writers) fell overall, with 13% of people opting for DIY wills (an increase of 5%).

Having done previous blogs on the dangers of DIY Wills (see here and here) I won't continue to bang that drum here, however I will say that some of the most complex estates I have ever had to administer were as the result of DIY Wills which were either defective or wide open to challenge due to the lack of professional oversight.

Writing a will is more than simply meeting with a client and regurgitating what they say in legalese. A properly drafted will should take into account the nature of the assets involved (not everything automatically passes under your will), the nature of the beneficiaries, taking into account any vulnerabilities or concerns and (on occasion) the odd bit of tax planning as there are few things that are more frustrating than realising that the estate now has to pay thousands in inheritance tax purely due to poor structuring.

Yes, proper professional advice is expensive, but the costs of litigation can be eye watering and, with contentious probate being the fastest growing area of litigation I am sure only the litigators will be happy with this growing trend.