# Key Post: Wills on-line.



## Qwerty (7 Nov 2001)

Just thought I'd highlight a site I came across offering a will service. The site looks good (quick browse). 
The news clip states;
 " A new Irish legal Web site called www.wills.ie has gone live with the option to create a standard will free of charge or a customised will for a fee."


For more information visit [broken link removed]

Cheers,
Qwerty.


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## Marion (7 Nov 2001)

*Re: Wills on-line.*

Hi Qwerty

Welcome to AAM. The site looks interesting, maybe at last I will get around to doing somehting about this important issue.

Regards

Marion :hat


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## endowed (7 Nov 2001)

*Re: Wills on-line.*

For anyone interested, Prof. Brian Carroll of UCC, who devised this website, was on "Morning Ireland" today. 

If you go into the RTE Radio website (Morning Ireland),it was the very last item so you can scroll through almost right to the end of your "Realplayer" (or whatever) and listen to it.

The whole concept sounds extremely interesting!


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## Danny (7 Nov 2001)

*Re: Wills on-line.*

What a magic service.

I just completed a will for myself and my missus in 5 minutes - at no cost!

It something I've been meaning to do for a while now.

Danny


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## endowed (10 Nov 2001)

*Re: Wills on-line.*

This website has been drawing favourable comment since it was mentioned on “Morning Ireland” and the “Irish Times” this week.

The power of the media, eh!   

Speaking of media, the “Irish Examiner” (Brian O’Mahony) has a lengthy review of this site on pg. 3 of the “Money & Jobs” supplement today. As Danny has said above, it does really seem to be  “a magic service”.

What struck me from reading this report today was that when the owners of the website did a survey before launching the site, a lot of people thought it was very expensive to complete a will. One person even thought it could cost a grand!  

Making a will is something that should'nt be “ put on the long finger”, no matter how young you are. :|


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## CM (8 Apr 2003)

*Willys about Wills*

I just went to my local BOI branch, and they sorted me out with a will for free there. Nice one !

No need to both with a rip-off solicitor.


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## MOB (8 Apr 2003)

*"rip off solicitors"*

I don't suppose the last contributor would care to substantiate this slur.  It gets monotonous defending an entire profession, but here goes:

1.  I am a solicitor.

2.   I rarely charge anything (or at most €50 for the pair)for a perfectly straightforward will (i.e. husband and wife leaving all to each other).  In this, I am absolutely typical of my profession.

3.   Such a will is rarely a satisfactory solution where there are children, or even the prospect of children.   As I point out to all married couples, it is not fair to simply leave the hard choices to the survivor; better to make joint decisions on what will happen when both are gone.  For a more complex will I rarely charge, though in this I am probably atypical of the profession.  A charge of up to €250 would not be unusual.  (And, of course, for a high net worth situation, or where the beneficiaries are nephews/nieces/unmarried partners so that Inheritance Tax planning issues arise, up to €500 is probably not unusual).

4.  There is no uniformity of practice, but many solicitors (myself included) routinely refuse to be named as an executor or trustee, on the grounds that if the next generation want my services they can hire them, but if they don't want my services, I don't want to be seen to have tried to secure the business by giving myself an appointment as executor.   This is in marked contrast to the attitude of many banks, whose business attitude routinely involves cross-selling of services and attempting to secure business.

For the well educated client, who knows enough to know what he/she needs to put in a will, and who is confident that there are no tax issues, a bank or an online service might be fine.  For the vast majority of people, a consultation with a solicitor is a far more sensible way of maing a will.


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## Rufus (10 Apr 2003)

*rip off solicitors*

Hi MOB,

"I don't suppose the last contributor would care to substantiate this slur. It gets monotonous defending an entire profession"

Do you find that you're constantly having to defend your profession? Maybe it's possible that there's one "bad-apple" solicitor (worldwide) who's giving all the others a bad name?


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## ClubMan (10 Apr 2003)

*Re: rip off solicitors*

_MOB_ has a point. Informed criticism can lead to interesting and constructive  debate but throw away one liners like the one above don't really add much to the discussion. I'd imagine that most people with a bit of common sense wouldn't take them too seriously.


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## MOB (10 Apr 2003)

*Defending an entire profession*

Believe it or not, the professional body for solicitors (The Law Society) for a number of years had no PR committee (it has recently been re-formed).   Defending the good name of the profession as a whole has never been seen as a big priority, because most solicitors are quite happy to stand or fall on their own individual reputations. I don't like getting into generalisations, because that is exactly what I found wrong about the previous post, but there seems to be a very very common perception among the public that "most solicitors are a wee bid shady,  a wee bit dodgy,  a wee bit inclined to rip-off, but my fellow is ok".   The other problem, one which all professionals have, is that very few people are inclined to talk about the efficient, courteous, value for money service that their solicitor gave, but anyone who has a bad experience broadcasts it to all and sundry


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## Maca (10 Apr 2003)

*Defending an entire profession*

MOB - The exact same generalisations apply to Brokers, don't you think?


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## Rufus (11 Apr 2003)

*Bad names*

I can appreciate that you don't want to get into generalisations, but, in relation to your comment "but anyone who has a bad experience broadcasts it to all and sundry", try to stand and take the view that encounters the public (clients) with respect to your profession. 

The times in life that we procure the services of a solicitor are usually the most critical/sensitive situations of our lives......divorce, custody, probate, (believe it or not conveyancy) etc. 

They are the times that we are most emotionally/economically vulnerable and in dire need of professional help for interpretation of our laws and representation to our courts.

We encounter situations of, our solicitor taking planned vacations (without informing us) during the critical periods of conveyancy, delaying the closure of the deal and leaving the client open to being hit with interest per diem of outstanding sums........not mentioning the stress factor.

We encounter situations of our solicitor changing Barrister during a custody case and appointing a Barrister who arrives in court with no previous knowledge of the history of the case.

The above are not barcounter examples, but from somebody who has used the services of different solicitors 3 times throughout his life.

Unfortunately this leaves bad-taste with respect to the profession as a whole. I think it will take more than the Law Society's spin-doc department to sort it out.

You are also unfortunate enough to hold the same professional title as the "ambulance chasers" who have riddled the country with advertisements during the last few years, and handed business cards to those in more need of a doctor.

Why should people talk about the efficient, courteous, value for money service that their solicitor gave them? That's what they hired them for.

MOB, I have no reason in the world to doubt your personal professional capabilities, but if I was in need of a solicitor in the morning, I would approach with extreme caution.


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