Legal firms, probate practitioners and professionals sign up to Will Aid’s Annual Will Writing campaign to help protect families across the country following the impact of coronavirus.
The pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions in the Wills and probate sector, which has seen a huge surge in people wanting to address later life planning, in particular Wills, when faced with mortality.
Due to the increased demand for Wills following the pandemic, Will Aid, the charity will-writing campaign, has seen a surge in enquiries wanting to book an appointment in this year’s campaign to get their affairs in order.
Consequently, Will Aid urgently needed more solicitors to take part in order to help people protect their families by drawing up a will and help to raise vital funds for Will Aid’s nine partner charities – including ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Trocaire, Save the Children, SCIAF and Sightsavers.
Today’s Wills and Probate spoke to those legal firms and practitioners who had signed up to Will Aid, why they chose to take part in the scheme, how volume of will making appointments compared to the last few years and what they hoped to achieve by participating in the campaign.
Stephen Robinson, associate solicitor in the private client team at Jacksons Law Firm believes it is a great way of “giving back to the community” and gives an opportunity to “break down barriers and misconceptions” of Will making as people generally don’t like to talk about their own mortality. He said:
“Jacksons Law Firm has participated in Will Aid for the last three years, as it’s a great way of “giving back” to the local community, something that means a lot to me personally as a trustee of a local charity, Children North East. At the time we joined the scheme, Jacksons Law Firm’s private client department participated in other will schemes and wanted to continue building its reputation in the community. Will Aid was a great way of doing so, whilst doing good for worthy causes, making it a “win-win” all round.
“It has always been successful, and we find that a lot of instructions are from a younger demographic, which is unusual for a will scheme. Each year, Jacksons Law Firm has reached its maximum allocation, which we set at a point where we feel that we won’t be compromising our level of service. This year, the take up rate has been astonishing. I feel that the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged people to take action.
“Will Aid gives us the opportunity to break down barriers and misconceptions, and also gets people in front of us who may not otherwise seek a solicitor to make a Will. There is also a lot of misinformation available, particularly online, which can lead to people not making a will, such as the legally non-existent concept of the “common law spouse” and that making a Will through a solicitor is expensive. Will Aid also provides us with the opportunity to educate, particularly in relation to Lasting Powers of Attorney, which are just as important as having a Will in place.”
Alexandra Gordon, partner at Brachers LLP talked about their involvement in Will Aid:
“Brachers is proud to support Will Aid’s annual Will writing campaign, which raises money for the charity’s vital work. Having a valid Will is so important, as it ensures your wishes are legally binding once you have passed away and helps you take control of how you wish to leave your estate, rather than leaving it to chance. This is the firm’s first time involved in the worthy campaign and is a proven successful way to promote the importance of having a valid Will.”
“The firm has seen an increase in people looking to get their legal affairs sorted during the pandemic, and for good reason. To make getting a Will more accessible to shift workers and people who may be juggling home working and childcare, we increased our opening hours in March for those wanting to draw up a Will, meaning we have been able to help more clients.”
Fiona Kirkpatrick, private client director at Tughans further commented on their participation in the scheme. She added:
“Tughans are delighted to be taking part in Will Aid again this year. According to statistics shared by Will Aid, Northern Ireland is the UK region with the highest proportion of parents with children under 18 who have not made Wills.
“Having a Will is a vital part of ensuring that your loved ones are protected and cared for in the way that you would want following your death. Will Aid month is therefore the perfect opportunity to address this whilst also benefitting charities that make a real difference both on your community and further afield. We are excited to be involved in such a worthwhile initiative.”
A spokesperson at from Johnson Astills Solicitors said:
“We have participated in Will Aid as we recognise the importance of people making a Will and we are pleased to offer people a professional service whilst making a difference to the partner charities.
“This isn’t our first time participating in the scheme. The volume of enquiries this year is much higher than previous years. We were booked to our full capacity within 2 weeks of appointments being made available. We hope to achieve being able to provide a professional service whilst supporting the partner charities.”
