In Scotland and elsewhere in the UK, some legal services can only be provided by regulated legal professionals, such as solicitors and advocates. However, legal advice in other areas, including will writing, may be delivered by people who are not regulated. The risks of lack of regulation In a House of Commons debate on the issue in 2008, Lorely Burt (then MP for Solihull) commented that: “ …someone could be a convicted fraudster, set up as a will writer tomorrow with no qualifications, experience or professional indemnity insurance and proceed to dispense advice on tax, inheritance laws and so on. Most consumers are unable to judge the quality or value of the service that they are getting, so it is no exaggeration to say that will writing has become a happy hunting ground for the incompetent, the dishonest and the fly-by-night operator.” She also went on to acknowledge that there were many ethical operators and, indeed, professional bodies for will writers. Nevertheless, as she Continue Reading
Fatal Accidents: Another Reason To Make A Will
Something like 7 out of 10 people do not have a Will. There are lots of reasons why you are unlikely to have made a Will. This post tells a story which might convince you to take action and make a Will, if you do not have one. The details are fictional but are based on fact situations we have dealt with in practice. Maggie and Tam – cohabiting couple Maggie had been separated from her husband for several years when she met her partner, Tam, through a mutual friend in 2002. Maggie lived in Moray and Tam was based in the Borders. After a year or so, they decided to move in together, Tam finding a job with a haulage company in Moray. They bought a house using, as a deposit, money Tam had saved. Tam had never been married and had no children. He formed a great relationship with Maggie’s three children – and two grandchildren born during the years after he and Maggie got together. Maggie, in turn, enjoyed the company of Tam’s brother and his parents. They went on Continue Reading