Who should I engage to prepare my Will? Lawyers or Non-Legal Firms?

This is a question of preference, and usually, a person may be influenced by the apparent lower costs offered by non-legal firms in offering Will drafting services.

In fact, the costs of a Will drafted by professional law firms are usually not more than a couple of hundreds of dollars (for relatively straightforward Will), and the law firm will usually have 1 or 2 lawyers witnessing the Testator’s signature to the Will. Such solicitor’s witnesses may be useful in the event of issues relating to the Testator’s signature to the Will or where there are disputes surrounding the Will.

Upon the death of the Testator, the personal representative(s) of the Testator may appoint a law firm to act in the Administration of the estate, and that law firm will usually advise the personal representative(s) to advertise in the Law Society Gazette (circulated to practising solicitors only) for any Will previously prepared by other law firm(s) for the testator to contact that law firm.