Shropshire expert supports licensing of will writers
A leading local will-writer has backed calls from the Legal Services Consumer Panel to regulate the will-writing profession.
Terry Le Long, who runs NLS Shropshire Ltd and is the Shropshire, Staffordshire and Mid-Wales regional chairman of professional body the Society of Will Writers (SWW), praised the Legal Services Consumer Panel’s recent undercover investigation into the will-writing industry, which found that one in five wills prepared by unregulated will-writing companies and solicitors failed quality tests carried out by independent experts.
The panel, established back in 2007 to offer independent advice to the Legal Services Board – the body responsible for regulating lawyers across England and Wales – recommended the introduction of a licensing system for professional will-writers and the adoption of a strict Code of Conduct across the sector.
Terry Le Long commented: “Although will writing has been around for over 20 years, it is only in very recent years that we have seen a rise in the numbers of will-writing companies, in particular, that work outside of any regulatory regime, and who, as a consequence, have succeeded in bringing the profession into disrepute through their poor practices.
“Every action taken and initiative supported by the Society recognises the importance of ensuring that the consumers’ interests lie at the heart of all we do. We believe that now could be the right time to introduce a system of regulation that will ensure any person or company that provides wills and other testamentary documents in exchange for a fee are properly licensed to practice.”
Terry added: “The Society supports the introduction of the licensing of professional will writers in Scotland and looks forward to working with the Scottish Executive in bringing its plans to fruition. Furthermore the Society believes that such a system can also work in England and Wales, and need not necessarily be prohibitive on cost resulting in even fewer people being put off from making a will. We also believe that such a system, if adopted, could be introduced very quickly and cheaply with the profession bearing the bulk of the cost.”
The Society of Will Writers already has in place the infrastructure needed to support such a scheme, including well-established training and legal support systems, and a Code of Practice which its members are required to adhere to, which has been drafted in consultation with the OFT, the CAB, LACORS and Age Concern (now part of Age UK) and is currently before the OFT for stage one approval under their CCAS scheme.
For further information about will-writing services and estate planning, contact Terry Le Long of NLS Shropshire Ltd on 01952 250360 or email terry@nlsshropshire.co.uk.
