Pictured above: Richard Ashton, of Linder Myers Solicitors in Shrewsbury

A Shropshire solicitor has issued a call to the elderly across the county after this week's Panorama programme highlighted the risks of using a will-writing service in the UK.

The BBC programme looked at the high-pressure selling techniques used by a lot of will-writers and secretly filmed a will-writer not explaining complicated charges to an elderly couple.

Presenter Vivian White highlighted the fact that many people are under the false impression a 'will writer' is a solicitor, but unlike a solicitor they do not have to undergo any training, have insurance, and are not regulated by any organisation which ensures that they conduct their activities in the interests of the consumer and provide some form of redress, if things go wrong. 

Caroline Bielanska, Chief Executive of Solicitors for the Elderly, who appeared on the programme says the lack of regulation has enabled many will writers to adopt high pressure selling techniques  -  illustrated in the programme, often offering wills for a low or discounted fee, and then recommending themselves to be appointed as executors, selling other services without full advice, such as transferring the home into a trust in an attempt to avoid care fees.  

Terms and conditions can be poorly worded and difficult to understand. In secret filming undertaken by the BBC for the programme, an elderly couple was not told the details of charges which were confusingly set out in writing but then taken away by the will writer.

It is believed the fear of solicitors costs, prompts some people to use will writers. 

Richard Ashton, of Linder Myers Solicitors in Shrewsbury, said: "Solicitor's are required to set out in writing the basis of their charges. Also, at Linder Myers we do not charge for the storage of wills and other documents, and we offer clients the opportunity to register their will on a national wills register to give them the peace of mind that their will can be easily and quickly located. A difficulty we encountered with one Will-Writing company was that, when they went out of business, we were not able to locate the original will."  

Richard added: "This programme highlights the potential for getting it wrong without full legal advice and the need for proper regulation of will writers.  

"At Linder Myers we have dealt with the problems that have arisen in wills prepared by Will-Writing companies and it can be very costly to undo after you have gone and can leave your family in disarray when they have to pick up the pieces as problems generally only come to light after death." 

Anybody who would like to seek advice should contact Linder Myers on (01743) 350571 or visit them at 4 Claremont Bank, Shrewsbury, for more information.

Linder Myers has a dedicated team of lawyers specialising in the preparation of Wills and estate planning. Our trusts and estates department comprises 12 solicitors together with a number of paralegals dealing solely with this area of work, including a number who are members of Solicitors for the Elderly and also the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).