Wills & Family
Who should I choose as executor if I don’t trust my family?
Not everyone has a relative they would trust to handle their estate. Here is how to think about other options, from friends to professional executors.
The firms we work with
Depending on what you need, we aim to introduce you to up to three appropriately qualified firms. These might include:
- A solicitor or law firm regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
- A chartered legal executive or CILEX practitioner, regulated by CILEx Regulation.
- A will writer who is a member of a recognised will-writing body, such as the Institute of Professional Willwriters or the Society of Will Writers.
- An estate-planning adviser, for example a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).
Each firm is an independent business. It sets its own fees and terms, and it is responsible for the advice and work it provides. WillHarbour is not responsible for their advice.
Regulated and unregulated work
Some legal work can only be done by authorised people. Under the Legal Services Act 2007, preparing probate papers for a fee is a "reserved legal activity". Writing a Will is not. In England and Wales, anyone can call themselves a will writer, and not every will writer is regulated or insured to the same standard.
This does not mean an unregulated will writer will do a poor job. It does mean you should ask questions before you instruct anyone.
How introductions work
- You answer our questions and give permission for us to share your enquiry.
- We review your answers and choose up to three firms that work in that area.
- We send them your enquiry and contact details, and we email you the names of the firms we have shared it with.
- Each firm may contact you to explain their fees and terms. You can compare them and decide whether to go ahead with any of them, or with none.
We never share your enquiry with more than three firms, and never with anyone other than the firms we name to you. We never sell your details to marketing lists. If none of the firms can help, we will tell you, and we will only pass your enquiry to anyone else if you agree.
Referral fees and transparency
WillHarbour is free for you to use. We are paid by the firms we work with, which pay us a fee for each introduction. We think you should know this.
Each firm must tell you about its referral arrangement with WillHarbour, and its own fees, before you instruct it. Solicitors, for example, must follow SRA rules on telling clients about referral arrangements. If you are not told, or you are unsure, ask the firm directly. You are always free to choose a different provider, including one we did not introduce.
How to check a provider yourself
We do not vouch for any firm. Before you instruct anyone, we suggest you check:
- Solicitors: search the SRA Solicitors Register to confirm a solicitor or firm is regulated.
- Chartered legal executives: use the CILEx Regulation practitioners directory.
- Trust and estate specialists: search the STEP directory.
- Will writers: ask which body they belong to (for example the Institute of Professional Willwriters or the Society of Will Writers), then confirm it with that body.
It is also sensible to ask:
- Do you have professional indemnity insurance?
- What will the work cost, and what is included?
- Who will do the work, and what are their qualifications?
- Where will my Will or documents be stored?
- What is your complaints process?
If a firm keeps contacting you
You are free to tell any firm that you do not want to go ahead and ask them to stop contacting you. If a firm keeps contacting you after you have asked them to stop, please email us at hello@willharbour.co.uk and tell us which firm it is. We will raise it with them, and it helps us decide who we work with.
You can also ask us at any time to stop passing on your enquiry. We will not share it with any more firms after you tell us.
If you are unhappy with a firm
Contact the professional first and use their own complaints process. Regulated firms must have one and should tell you about it.
If the professional is a regulated lawyer and you are still unhappy, you may be able to take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman. The Legal Ombudsman says your provider has up to eight weeks to put things right first. It can only help with regulated legal service providers, so it cannot usually look at complaints about unregulated will writers. In that case, the will writer's membership body may have its own complaints scheme.
Please also tell us, using our contact page. We cannot resolve complaints about a professional's work, but feedback helps us decide who we work with. For complaints about WillHarbour itself, see our complaints page.
