W H AT TO L OO K
F O R I N A
W I L L W R I T E R
If a Will Writer is
a member of the
Society of Will Writers
and Estate Planning
Practitioners,
we
expect
that
they
abide by our three
compulsory requirements
of Membership.
These
include ongoing training
and development, code of
practice compliance, and a
comprehensive insurance
policy to cover their estate planning activities.
Choosing a qualified and knowledgeable Will
Writer based on their track record, their
expertise and how they work, should be of
paramount importance. Trust is spelled out
and unpacked below as part of 5 considerations
you should keep in mind when choosing a Will
Writer.
TRAINING, SKILLS AND
EXPERIENCE OF WILL
WRITING
The first mandatory requirement of SWW
Membership is Continuous Professional
Development (CPD) mainly but not exclusively
through the Society’s College of Will Writing.
As Estate Planning Practitioners, all SWW
Members are required to complete a minimum
of 24 hours CPD a year which ensures their
knowledge is up to date. Be sure to check
the academic and professional qualifications
your Will Writer has received as part of their
training so you know you can trust the advice
they are giving and that it is up to date.
REGUL ATED BY THE
SOCIETY’S CODE OF
PRACTICE
The second mandatory requirement of
Membership with the SWW is adherence
to our Code of Practice, including our 10
Membership Principles.
Will Writing is
16
the society of will writers
currently not regulated by statute, but that
does not mean that professional standards
should not be imposed. Ensure that your
Will Writer, is working with a high sense of
duty and integrity. Society Members work
in accordance with a methodical process
whereby client care is of utmost priority, as
set out in our Code of Practice. Find out
whether your Will Writer is Code compliant by,
amongst other things, checking if they display
the Society’s ‘Safe to do business with’ logo.
UP TO DATE
PROFESSIONAL INDEMNITY
INSURANCE
The third mandatory requirement of Society
membership is to hold a minimum of £2m
Professional Indemnity Insurance. The Society
has an insurance scheme in place with our
Partner Jelf which members are welcome
to use, however, they may have insurance
elsewhere which meets our requirements. It
is important to check that your Will Writer is
a Member of ours, and their insurance is up
to date.
STORAGE SERVICES
THE WILL WRTIER CAN
PROVIDE
Once you are satisfied that your Will Writer is a
Member of the SWW, it is advisable to discover
what, if any Document Storage services they
can offer. Secure and dedicated Will Storage
ensures that a Will can be discovered when
it is needed. As such, Document Storage is
as important as the process of drawing up
the Will in the first place. Members of the
Society are welcome to store Documents with
our own safe storage facility, the National Will
Archive. Check whether your Will Writer, (1)
offers Professional Document Storage with
a dedicated storage provider such as the
National Will Archive, (2) stores Documents
themselves, or (3) leaves clients to self-store
all Documents at home.