WHY WE SHOULD ALL TRUST THE EXPERTS , ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO WILLS AND POWERS OF ATTORNEY

In our day-to-day lives , we place a huge amount of trust in someone ’ s expertise and experience , whether this be in the medical profession , retail sector or really any area if we think hard enough . As such , the legal sector , and especially will writing and estate planning , shouldn ’ t be any different . Why would we try and complete our wills or Powers of Attorney ( PoA ) ourselves ? And then worry that we have missed something , or indeed possibly not executed these documents properly , potentially causing huge upset and distress at a time when you are no longer around to support your family or friends with this . Here at APS , we see a large number of family disputes at probate stage , where a will hasn ’ t been completed , or has , but is incorrect or out of date . On the PoA side , we see errors made in documents which can then sadly not be changed as the client has already lost capacity , as registration is left too late . People believe that by completing these documents themselves , they can save cost and time , when in fact these are increased significantly if wills and PoAs are completed incorrectly . By referring clients for estate planning , this offers peace of mind , not just for your clients that this is sorted for them , but also for you as the adviser , as if your clients don ’ t have these documents in place , no doubt issues will arise in the future that will affect yourself too . These issues could be if the client loses capacity and your business with them cannot continue , as they have not made the necessary arrangements or their attorneys choose to use alternative providers , or of course , if they should pass away and their investments and assets go to different beneficiaries than they would wish , you could become involved in family disputes that could have been avoided . Referring is simple through APS Legal & Associates – we simply need the client ’ s name , postcode and any other relevant information you feel should be passed over to us which may help the initial discussions . We then allocate a suitably qualified specialist to complete these documents with the clients , either virtually or face to face , giving them thorough advice and a professional outcome either way . This process doesn ’ t require any ongoing time from yourself but will aid you in the future : for example , with PoAs and maintaining your link to the client ’ s assets , or also staying involved with the client ’ s family and estate to ensure a continuous link to the next generation . Of course , remuneration is a further benefit as you will receive a referral commission on completion of each case . Finally , we can also take the risk away of another professional offering this service to your clients , but then you potentially losing your client to them , as with us there is no risk of cross-selling , which is a vital point to make . So , going back to my original question , why would we try and complete these vital documents ourselves ? The fact is that we shouldn ’ t – professional advice is always needed , just as with all specialisms .