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Regulation

Is will writing and estate planning regulated? 

In short, sadly the will writing and estate planning sector is not currently regulated. However, at APS Legal and Associates we have always, and will continue to, act in a regulated way. All of our in-house staff and each of our associates are members of the Institute of Professional Will Writers and follow their code of practice, meaning each will writing and estate planning case throughout the UK is drafted in the same way. The IPW’s code of practice is the only one in the sector recognised by Trading Standards, meaning every associate and every case is covered under our PI insurance.

The advantages are:

  • We are members of the professional body the Institute of Professional Will writers
  • We adhere to the IPW Code of Practice, which includes Terms of Business, a 14 day cooling off period, and in the unlikely event it is required, an independent complaints procedure.
  • The Code of Practice is approved by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI)
  • All our Associates are fully trained in taking your instructions and are qualified Associate members of the IPW
  • All members of the legal team and our Associates are required to keep their knowledge up to date through continued professional development
  • The company and our Associates carry £2.5 million of Professional Indemnity Insurance

All our clients can deal with us with confidence and peace of mind.

Probate

There are just three areas of probate that are regulated: the oath, the transfer or sale of property and any legal deeds. Other than these three areas, anyone can complete the probate services; however as there are several red flags to look out for, and as the process is time consuming and confusing, it is often best to appoint of professional executor (see reasons why here)