All wills made through Make a Will Online to now undergo solicitor check
Melanie May | 14 February 2019 | News
All wills made through Make a Will Online’s free online service will now be checked by a qualified solicitor.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) recently approved a scheme to allow Make A Will Online to hire qualified solicitors to check all wills made.
The service charges individuals £29.50 for a will, and £39.50 for a pair. However, charities that partner with Make a Will Online can offer a free will service to their supporters and cover the costs themselves. A supporter wanting to make a will then goes to the unique part of the website built for the charity partner and completes a will-making questionnaire, which also includes various prompts to leave a gift to the charity. The supporter does not pay for the will although they are invited to make a voluntary donation to the charity to cover the cost.
When the supporter completes the process, their will is checked by a solicitor and then sent to them. At the end of the month, Make a Will Online invoices the charity for wills made by their supporters, with charities charged just the advertised £29.50 for a single will or £39.50 for a pair of wills made by their supporters. This covers the provision of analytics on supporter behaviour, including when gifts are pledged and how much is pledged, a supporter and charity helpline, and each will being checked by a qualified solicitor.
Director Alex Hammond said:
“We’re delighted to break down the barriers to quality legal advice to charity supporters. We set up ten years ago to make sure nobody need die without a will. Last year we launched free charity wills and analytics service. We gather useful information on their supporters’ pledges. Now supporters have the peace of mind that their wills are checked by a solicitor.”
Make A Will Online’s first solicitor Oliver Asha added:
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“All solicitors benefit from intense training: at university, law school, as a trainee solicitor and extensive post qualification training. Bringing these skills to the public via an easy to use online platform is a ground-breaking innovation. We are looking forward to a new era of innovation and democratising legal services.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.