Wills are the way to go

Next Monday marks the start of Best Will in the World Week and more than 200 solicitors across the State will offer people help in drawing up their wills for just €50 a throw

The legal profession – along with doctors and dentists – was almost immediately identified by the Troika as one which needed to bring its prices down in line with Irish consumers’ post-bailout financial reality.

Many solicitors and barristers have been slow to recognise the new reality and drop their prices, but others realise that times have definitely changed and the days when newly minted solicitors could charge ridiculous fees for comparatively simple services have gone the way of the boom.

While the legal eagles get a lot of grief for their high prices, they do sometimes give something back.

Next week, for instance, solicitors will be offering great value for money, for one service at least.

Next Monday marks the start of Best Will in the World Week and more than 200 solicitors across the State will offer people help in drawing up their wills for just €50 a throw.

This amounts to a saving of anywhere between €100 and €300 depending on the practice you visit and the complexity of your life.

Trying to get a price for a will is notoriously difficult as every practice will have a different pricing structure and the prices will rise or fall depending on what you need your will to do.

By any measure then, a €50 will is good value for money. And make no mistake, there are a whole lot of people out there who should take advantage of the offer.

According to a survey published in conjunction with the Best Will in the World Week only a third of Irish people have made a will and, while the percentage of people with a will climbs as they get older, just over half the adult population aged between 45 and 64 have one.

Best Will in the World Week is trying to address the issue by offering people wills on the cheap.

It is organised by MyLegacy.ie, a coalition of over 70 Irish charities, and will see solicitors across the country offering consultations.

This umbrella body is made up of 60 Irish charities from the areas of health, children’s issues, overseas development, social issues, human rights, and animal protection, amongst others.

It was established in 2003 to raise public awareness of making a will and leaving charitable bequests and provides unbiased, useful information to individuals, charities and solicitors about leaving legacies to charities.

The people at MyLegacy.ieare not behind this initiative for nothing. They are involved because they want to encourage people making a will to leave a gift to their favourite charity.