Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have a question? See our Frequently Asked Questions for help.
Our service
What makes Wills by Brodies different from other online wills services?
Brodies’ wills team is one of Scotland’s largest and is made up of some of the country’s leading private client lawyers.
We provide you with tailored legal advice based on your individual circumstances. Our online questionnaire allows you to provide your instructions for a will, power of attorney or living will anytime, anywhere. Unlike other online will providers who provide legal forms and information only, we offer legal advice and draft bespoke documents for your circumstances.
Sometimes, families and assets can be more complicated than first thought. If your affairs turn out to be more complicated our lawyers are on hand to advise you on the range of options available to meet your goals.
Do I have to live in Scotland to use Wills by Brodies?
This service is suitable if your will and estate is to be governed by Scots law. If you are living outside of Scotland for work for example, and return to Scotland, you can still use this service.
Why can’t I have my will immediately?
One of the benefits of our service is that your will and/or power of attorney is being handled by a team of qualified solicitors. Once you have given us your instructions online, we will make sure that your tailor-made documentation is what you want and need. This will involve a call to confirm the information given by you in your online questionnaire form and a meeting with you to have your final documents signed. Your documents will be sent to you for review within ten working days of speaking with us, and then we’ll meet with you to sign them as soon as you are able to.
I don’t live near a Brodies office – can I use Wills By Brodies?
Yes. The benefit of this service is that we will gather all of the information that we need from you via your online questionnaire form. We then confirm this information with you over a quick call. When it comes to meeting with us to sign your final documents, if you are unable to meet at one of our offices, we will discuss alternative options with you to find the most convenient solution for you.
COVID-19 UPDATE: In these unprecedented times, following the guidance outlined by The Law Society of Scotland, all face-to-face meetings will be replaced by a suitable alternative, such as a video call. This will be discussed fully with you at an appropriate time.
I’m experiencing technical difficulties what should I do?
Please get in touch via email at willsbybrodies@brodies.com, or give us a call on our free phone number 0330 094 5471, and one of our team will be happy to help.
What happens if I don’t receive any emails from Brodies following completion of the online form?
You should receive an email from Wills by Brodies attaching a copy of your completed questionnaire within 30 minutes of completing the application. If you have not received this, please check your junk mail folder.
If you still haven’t received an email, please contact us directly on 0330 094 5471 or willsbybrodies@brodies.com
Is it possible to book a telephone appointment out of hours?
If you would like to book an early (before 9am) or late (after 5pm) telephone appointment, please select the earliest or latest time on the telephone booking form (which comes up at the end of the questionnaire and after you have paid for the services) on the day you wish to have the call and then email us at willsbybrodies@brodies.com to let us know the time you would prefer to have the call. We will do our best to accommodate your requested time and if that is not possible, we will provide alternative times for you to choose from.
What do I need to get started?
All you need to get started:
- Names, addresses and dates of birth for the people you wish to appoint as executor, guardian, beneficiary or attorney;
- An estimated value of your home and any outstanding mortgage;
- An estimated value of your other assets including savings, investments, business assets, investment properties, life assurance policies, pensions and any foreign assets;
- Names of any charities you wish to leave a legacy to; and
- A credit or debit card to pay online.
Wills
What if I don’t know how much I will have to leave my beneficiaries?
Many people are more comfortable with leaving percentages or parts of their estates to their chosen beneficiaries rather than leaving specific amounts. This can be discussed with your solicitor who will assist you with finding the most appropriate solution.
Can I complete a joint will applications with another relative?
Joint applications are only suitable for married couples, civil partners, or cohabiting couples and where instructions ‘mirror’ each other. For example, if you and your spouse wish to prepare a will to provide for each other on the first death and your children on the second death, this would be mirror instructions.
Joint applications are not suitable for any other relations such as siblings or parent and child. The reason for this is that we provide you with tailored legal advice based on your individual circumstances. It is likely that your financial or other circumstances will vary from your relative even if your instructions are similar. This means a separate application is required as the advice we provide to each of you will be different.
I’m not sure if I want to include a trust in my will – can I discuss this with a solicitor? How much will I pay?
If you select the option within the questionnaire to discuss the possibility of including a trust in your will, we shall discuss this with you during the initial telephone meeting. You will be charged at the end of the questionnaire for a ‘trust will’ (£360 inclusive of VAT for a single application and £420 inclusive of VAT for a joint application). If you decide not to proceed with a trust, we will refund the difference in cost.
Power of Attorney
What is the difference between a continuing power of attorney and a welfare power of attorney?
A power of attorney is divided into two categories:
- Continuing powers – this allows someone to deal with financial matters such as operating a bank account on your behalf or buying and selling property.
- Welfare powers – this allows someone to deal with welfare matters such as making decisions about where you would live and what hospital treatment you may require.
You can have a combined power of attorney which includes both continuing and welfare powers, or you can have separate powers of attorney to deal with continuing and welfare powers separately.
You can have a combined power of attorney which includes both continuing and welfare powers, or you can have separate powers of attorney to deal with continuing and welfare powers separately.
Why should my power of attorney be registered with the Office of Public Guardian?
Once the power of attorney has been signed, it is recommended that the document be registered with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG). The power of attorney can only be used once it has been registered. Therefore, if the document is unregistered and is required at short notice in the future, there can be delays associated with registering the power of attorney. These delays can be avoided by registering the power of attorney with the OPG after signing.
Delivering the Free Will Service for Cancer Research UK
What is Brodies’ relationship with Cancer Research UK?
Wills by Brodies delivers the Free Will Service for Cancer Research. The Free Will Service for Cancer Research UK covers the cost of writing a simple will, and most people who use it choose to include a gift to Cancer Research UK. Gifts in wills fund a third of Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work and they are vital to accelerating progress to save more lives.
