Since 1994, The Society of Will Writers has been growing to form a network of over 1,700 Professional Estate Planners in the UK, and even further afield in places such as central Europe and Asia making us a truly international organisation.
No longer are solicitors your only option when writing a Will. In fact, a survey conducted by the Legal Services Board in 2010 found that there was no difference in quality between Wills produced by Will Writers and those produced by Solicitors, which begs the question – with so many Society members available, why should you use one? It’s important to note that solicitors also sign up as members of the SWW and make up the 1700.
Insurance – All members of the Society must hold valid Professional Indemnity Insurance covering them to a minimum of £2 million. This covers them for the advice that they give, as well as you, ensuring that if in the event something does go wrong, the necessary legal costs and any potential compensation can be paid.
Training – We require all our members to complete a mandatory 24 hours CPD a year. This is regular ongoing training to ensure that the advice they give is correct and up to date. Many of our members exceed the 24 hours by attending courses, conferences, regional group meetings, etc. to provide you with the best quality service possible.
Code of Practice – The Society enforces a strict code of practice on all members which they must read and adhere to. Members found to be in breach of the code of practice may face disciplinary action.
Complaints Procedure – All of our members must implement their own complaints procedure as well as adhering to the Society’s. Most of the time complaints are dealt with by the member, however if a complaint is ever escalated to the Society we can investigate and take any necessary action. Remember however, we cannot deal with any complaints about Will Writers who aren’t members of Society.
Support – Full members of the Society (MSWW) are entitled to advice from our technical team. If there’s something a member needs assistance with, they can email the technical advice team and get a response within 48 hours. (Usually much quicker.) This helps them provide you with the best advice, and our technical team is also insured for all the advice they give.
Public Indemnity Fund – All full members of the Society pay into a Public Indemnity Fund when they join. If at any point they cannot complete any outstanding work due to illness, or other unforeseen circumstances, the fund will be used to pay to complete work to ensure that you aren’t left without the documents and the services you’ve paid for*.
All the above is what makes our members ‘Safe to do business with’.
To find a member in your local area, visit: www.willwriters.com/members
*subject to terms and conditions.
