Why a solicitor is the best person to make your will

Making a will is the best way to ensure that your personal possessions, assets and savings are shared out according to your wishes after you die. It can also set out how you would like your children to be cared for.

And while no one wants to spend too much time thinking about death, it’s important to give proper consideration to the future and to how to go about making your will.

Recent research has shown that the majority of people use a solicitor to draw up their will. Here are some reasons why people might choose a Scottish solicitor.

Regulation and insurance

All Scottish solicitors must meet the high professional standards which are set and upheld by the Law Society of Scotland. These standards govern their conduct as solicitors as well as the service they provide to their clients. On top of this, solicitors working in private practice are covered by insurance and must pay into a fund which covers members of the public for monetary loss in the event of solicitor dishonesty. If a solicitor makes your will, you and your loved ones are protected in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.

Years of experience/training

Becoming a solicitor means many years of hard studying and training. And even after they qualify, they must regularly complete training to keep their knowledge up to date. All this means that when you come to a solicitor about writing your will, you’ll be dealing with an expert who knows the law inside out. For something as important as your will, that peace of mind means a lot.

Knowledge of other relevant areas

Being able to write a will is one thing, but what about the inheritance tax implications that may go with it, or the legalities of appointing executors and protecting your online assets? Solicitors are experts in many different areas and can ensure that your will is comprehensive and complies with all relevant laws.

Satisfaction levels

Research has shown that the vast majority of people (82%) who use a Scottish solicitor would recommend them to family and friends. In the same survey, almost everyone (97%) said they thought their own solicitor was either ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ trustworthy. And when it comes to legal knowledge, 89% of those asked said their solicitor was an expert in the law.

Plenty of choice

There are well over a thousand legal firms operating across Scotland, so you’re not short of choice when it comes to a solicitor who can help you write your will. In fact, you can use our free Find a Solicitor tool to find a list of firms in your area. Just enter your post code into the search bar. Having choice means that you can speak to a number of solicitors to compare their fees and approach and find the service that is right for you.

Help a charity

As well as being able to leave money to charity in your will itself, you can also do some good simply by getting a solicitor to write one. There are a couple of ways to do this. Firstly there's Will Relief, a Scottish charity whose participating solicitors will write your will for free during September and instead ask you to make a donation to a good cause. Many solicitors also participate in Will Aid who run a similar scheme during November.

To find an expert today who can help you make a will, see our Find a Solicitor page. Or to find out more about wills and to watch a short explanatory video you can visit our making a will page.