The Director of Solicitors for the Elderly has highlighted concern over a new online will writing service which claims it can help consumers bypass solicitors.
Beyond, co-founded by Ian Strang and James Dunn claims that it can help people make a will in around ten minutes, simply by answering questions about themselves and their wishes. In order to make the will valid, the company state that it simply needs to be printed off and signed by two witnesses.
Stating that their digital service will ‘disrupt one life’s most archaic industries’, the founders go on to mention that if just 5% of the UK population use Beyond, the total saving would be more than £650 million.
However, director of Solicitors for the Elderly, Jenny Pierce expressed concerns over the new service, warning that it could lead to a risk of abuse.
As well as highlighting the limitations of assessing mental capacity online, she also stated: ‘Common errors, such as problems with the witnessing of the will, vague wording or failure to take into account all available assets, can lead to a poorly drafted or ineffective will.
‘We recommend seeking specialist legal advice when drafting a will.’
Responding to the claims, Beyond’s co-founder Ian Strang told the Law Gazette: ‘Is the concern that the will isn’t being signed and witnessed in the presence of a solicitor? If so, then I’m not sure how our product differs markedly from a DIY will or any other online will or even any solicitor-drafted will that isn’t signed in their presence.
‘The process for creating a simple will with a solicitor is simply a manual, laborious version of what we offer online.
He did, however, state that choosing a solicitor would be the best option when dealing with more complex circumstances.
‘I do agree that, for anything more complicated than a simple will, a solicitor is the best option. To that end, if a will is too complicated for our online offering, we refer customers to a partner solicitor.’
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