Modern Will Service?

[feder1]

I am trying to make some adjustments to my will which entail removing a dead legatee and an executor,s change of address.

This will is with a solicitor since I thought that was the best thing to do.

It will involve an office meeting which is not on at the moment. The last time I had changes made they kept mistyping the details and the document kept flying back and forth.

Surely they could modernise (as a necessity brought on by the pandemic) and have a secure website which would enable rapid changes and correct documentation to be produced in a legal manner?

Are there online services now that are pukka?

[swill453]

I am trying to make some adjustments to my will which entail removing a dead legatee and an executor,s change of address.

Why would you need to involve a solicitor (or any other paid service) for such simple changes? The will is just words, you have the words in front of you. Make the changes, get it signed/witnessed etc., job done.

(Obviously ensure superseded wills are destroyed etc.)

(Obviously this is my opinion, do anything at your own risk.)

Scott.

[EverybodyKnows]

When we had our wills created last year we completed all of the details online and the solicitor refined the product. From memory it was £200 in total (for two people).

Which? magazine used to include a free online Wills service which I take as being an indication that they are ok. Each to their own but for my money, I want to know the name of the solicitor doing the work so I can come back and haunt them if they get it wrong...

[dealtn]

I am trying to make some adjustments to my will which entail removing a dead legatee and an executor,s change of address.

This will is with a solicitor since I thought that was the best thing to do.

It will involve an office meeting which is not on at the moment. The last time I had changes made they kept mistyping the details and the document kept flying back and forth.

Surely they could modernise (as a necessity brought on by the pandemic) and have a secure website which would enable rapid changes and correct documentation to be produced in a legal manner?

Are there online services now that are pukka?

You don't sound happy with the service. Why are you continuing to use them?

[Dod101]

I am trying to make some adjustments to my will which entail removing a dead legatee and an executor,s change of address.

This will is with a solicitor since I thought that was the best thing to do.

It will involve an office meeting which is not on at the moment. The last time I had changes made they kept mistyping the details and the document kept flying back and forth.

Surely they could modernise (as a necessity brought on by the pandemic) and have a secure website which would enable rapid changes and correct documentation to be produced in a legal manner?

Are there online services now that are pukka?

I would be a bit cautious about making the changes yourself. The change of address is neither here nor there but removing the deceased legatee is I would have thought. You need a simple codicil but that should not need an office meeting and frankly you will not be the only person in the UK needing to make that sort of change so solicitors I am sure will be set up for that sort of thing. Why not call the original solicitors, tell them what you want and ask them to prepare a codicil, send it to you and you can sign it and get witnessed. Job done.

If the document keeps flying back and forth so be it or you could find another solicitor.

Dod

[PinkDalek]

I am trying to make some adjustments to my will which entail removing a dead legatee ...

I wasn't aware that was a necessity.

Unless the first death was very recent and there's a second death anticipated in the very near future and there's an applicable survivorship clause or you are replacing the dead beneficiary's name with a different individual.

Randomly found article:

https://www.co-oplegalservices.co.uk/media-centre/articles-jan-march-2019/what-happens-in-probate-if-a-beneficiary-has-died/

In general, where a beneficiary dies before the deceased their gift will fail and they will not receive anything from the deceased's Estate. ...

[Dod101]

I am trying to make some adjustments to my will which entail removing a dead legatee ...

I wasn't aware that was a necessity.

Unless the first death was very recent and there's a second death anticipated in the very near future and there's an applicable survivorship clause or you are replacing the dead beneficiary's name with a different individual.

Randomly found article:

https://www.co-oplegalservices.co.uk/media-centre/articles-jan-march-2019/what-happens-in-probate-if-a-beneficiary-has-died/

In general, where a beneficiary dies before the deceased their gift will fail and they will not receive anything from the deceased's Estate. ...

The OP did not claim it was a necessity and we do not know if there is a survivorship clause. Without one, as you say the legacy fails and presumably the legacy falls into the residue to be dealt accordingly.I for instance was simply trying to answer the OP's query about how solicitor's are likely to act under Covid conditions..

Dod

[Lootman]

It will involve an office meeting which is not on at the moment. The last time I had changes made they kept mistyping the details and the document kept flying back and forth.

Why do they claim an office meeting is necessary?

The only reason I can think of is that they want the office staff to witness the signing. And perhaps hope for custody of the document afterwards, But you can of course find your own witnesses and then send the document back to the solicitor if you want them to store it. Personally I do not want that storage and just give copies to my executors.

The last Will I did, maybe 5 years ago, was done entirely remotely. And that was before remote working became the norm.

[PinkDalek]

I am trying to make some adjustments to my will which entail removing a dead legatee ...

I wasn't aware that was a necessity.

Unless the first death was very recent and there's a second death anticipated in the very near future and there's an applicable survivorship clause or you are replacing the dead beneficiary's name with a different individual.

Randomly found article:

https://www.co-oplegalservices.co.uk/media-centre/articles-jan-march-2019/what-happens-in-probate-if-a-beneficiary-has-died/

In general, where a beneficiary dies before the deceased their gift will fail and they will not receive anything from the deceased's Estate. ...

The OP did not claim it was a necessity and we do not know if there is a survivorship clause. Without one, as you say the legacy fails and presumably the legacy falls into the residue to be dealt accordingly. ...

I never claimed the OP said it was a necessity. The intention of my reply was potentially to draw out more information. There could be very good reasons why he wishes the Will to be amended by codicil or rewritten but establishing the background often assists.

The article goes into further detail as to whether or not the legacy would fail in all circumstances. I found it interesting re Where a Will contains a gift to a child, adopted child or grandchild of the deceased, and onwards. Thus the ... in my reply to suggest the OP reads the entirety.

[yorkshirelad1]

I am trying to make some adjustments to my will which entail removing a dead legatee and an executor,s change of address.

This will is with a solicitor since I thought that was the best thing to do.

It will involve an office meeting which is not on at the moment. The last time I had changes made they kept mistyping the details and the document kept flying back and forth.

Surely they could modernise (as a necessity brought on by the pandemic) and have a secure website which would enable rapid changes and correct documentation to be produced in a legal manner?

Are there online services now that are pukka?

I've just written (& signed last week) a new version of my Will (I could have done a codicil but by the time I'd taken account of the changes, it made sense to start with a fresh Will).
I did everything via e-mail.
They also put a clause in to cover what happens if one of my beneficiaries dies before me.
Re: signing: the solr was happy for me to sit in my car and sign the will, while two of them watched from a safe distance, but in the end, it was a fine day, and I stood outside their office window while one watched from outside and one watched from inside (& I watched from outside while he signed inside) and all done. Desperate times, desperate measures (whilst ticking all the boxes that the Law Society require).

[modellingman]

Surely they could modernise (as a necessity brought on by the pandemic) and have a secure website which would enable rapid changes and correct documentation to be produced in a legal manner?

Are there online services now that are pukka?

There are online services that can do this, though I suspect that most small and even medium solicitors firms will take a while to start to use them.

Last year I remortgaged several properties and the broker (a national firm) used secure online services both to send and receive the numerous documents involved.

In contrast, when I sold a house last year, I just put all my documents into a OneDrive folder and gave my solicitor access to this. Not quite as secure and I made sure to phone through the bank details for getting the sale proceeds.

[feder1]

My solicitor retrieved the will and said that the existing terms would cover the two changes.

The passed benefactor,s share is put back into the estate and the executor,s change of address is trivial.

I still think there is scope for some modernisation in dealing with these things.

Thanks all.

[swill453]

I still think there is scope for some modernisation in dealing with these things.

Well people on this thread have reported doing it entirely online/electronically (save for printing out and witnessing). What more do you want?

Scott.