When looking at the state of the Will Writing industry in 2016, the profession remains largely unchanged. We expected some changes back in May 2013 when the Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling’s decision to reject the recommendations of the Legal Services Board (LSB) to regulate will writing by making it a reserved activity came as a shock.
In the years following this decision the Society of Will Writers has continued to act in the interests of the public by acting a self-regulatory organisation and holding our members to account using strict membership requirements and proficiency standards. This includes ensuring our members undergo continuous training to keep their knowledge up to date, doing a minimum of 24 hours CPD annually.
The Society of Will Writers, under the guidance and direction of Brian McMillan (Director General) haven’t stood still since the announcement. They have created and released 10 membership principles which underpin and sit alongside the SWW Code of Practice. They have also released a new logo which members who are fully complaint are welcome to use.
The fact remains that anyone can hold themselves out to be a Will Writer but not everyone chooses to be regulated and holds themselves to account. There are well over 1500 members of the SWW located across the UK and around the world. They benefit from the expert advice and training we offer, and are supported by us. All the more reason to use an SWW member.
Here at The Society of Will Writers, we ensure that will writers who are applying to become members of our organisation provide us with proof of their proficiency. This proof may be though adequate qualifications and experience, or through completing our SWWEPP course and passing the associated exam.
A will writer regulated by the SWW must also have professional indemnity insurance to our minimum level cover of £2 million and agree to adhere to the SWW Code of Practice and complaints procedure.
Upon application to the SWW all full members pay into a Public Indemnity Fund. This ensures that if the will writer passes away, becomes critically ill, or becomes bankrupt, a client who has paid for work relating to their Will or Power of Attorney will have their contract fulfilled.
If you are looking for a professional will writer in your area the SWW is happy to help you locate a will writer. You can use the “Find a Member” feature on the SWW website or call the office on 01522 687888 and ask for assistance.
