will writing service in reading

LANGDALE WILLS

Planning for the Future. Today.

Planning for the future. Today

Will Writing and Lasting Power of Attorney Specialists

We are a specialist, independent Will writing company and provider of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs). As a family business, we offer a personalised approach. Bringing together both legal expertise and our own experience of having young and older relatives, we understand the process can be daunting and we are here to help. 

Kate Scott - Director and owner of Langdale Wills.  

We believe everyone should be secure in the knowledge that, in the event of unforeseen circumstances, your wishes are followed and loved ones are looked after.  We are friendly, approachable and committed to making the process of writing your Will, or Lasting Power of Attorney, as smooth and easy as possible.

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Will Writing Service in Reading

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A will is an extremely important part of your life – and your death. Without a will, you can create all kinds of financial and interpersonal problems among friends and family, especially if there are already tensions between different people in your personal and home life in August 2024.

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If you do not already have an existing will, then it can seem daunting to try and create one from scratch. Many people in Reading have no idea how a will looks, let alone how to create a legal document that can contain all the assets they want to spread around after their death. Even a basic will can seem like a tough document to produce on your own.

The best alternative is to use a cheap, reliable will writing service. Will writers can help you put together a will that is not only legally valid and binding but accurate to your wishes and the way that you want your family to be compensated after your passing.

A will is a major part of getting your affairs in order. We are a team of specialist will writers that understand how to tailor every single will to the client’s wishes and needs, acting as legal professionals to review and amend your will as needed to better suit the legal framework it exists in.

If you are interested in getting a valid will created, then our will writing services may be the best place to turn. There is no easier way to get a will created than sitting in the comfort of your own home and letting the professionals handle it for you.

Why Use Us?

Our team of specialist in-house solicitors and experts have formed a will writing service with a strong legal core. We understand how to construct a will that will not be contested or found invalid, writing firm and decisive details that fall within the legal requirements of any written will.

Co-Op Legal Services

We consider ourselves to offer co-op legal services, with several specialists cooperating at all times. This does not impact the solicitor cost and ensures that you get the best results possible.

Thanks to our Reading online will writing service, plenty of past clients have been able to rest easy, safe in the knowledge that our will writing services have given each family member the security and stability they will need. As legal documents, it takes a lot of skill to craft a will completely free of ambiguity and uncertain language.

Our Work in Reading

If you want to prove testamentary capacity and ensure that your will is carried out, then you want a will that is professionally written and able to give you all the right legal cover. A professional service like ours is not just there to protect someone’s interests but to make sure that the personal circumstances behind your will do not compromise your wishes.

Inheritance, Wills & Probate Barristers Reading

Our Reading experts are far more than just simple will-writers. We know how to write wills that properly distribute your assets to your chosen beneficiaries, making sure that there are no vague terms or hard-to-understand passages that get in the way of a clear and direct will statement.

As a licensed team of barristers and legal experts, we understand how inheritance laws relate to your personal possessions. We also have a full understanding of the legal processes surrounding British wills and how they should be approached if you want a will of your own.

Our online will writing service provides an easy way to get a new will written quickly, tailored to your exact needs and preferences, through multiple in-depth discussions. Will writing services like ours need to be prepared to sift through legal details and personal information to figure out how the right kind of will can be constructed.

A will dictates what happens after your death, concerning both immediate family and personal friends. A professionally-drafted will is not just something you get for style – it also provides you with the legal protection and support you need to have your wishes carried out correctly.

A large part of our duties as your will writing service involves us carefully piecing together a will that matches your wishes and needs, making sure that absolutely nothing can be misunderstood or misinterpreted. Any vagueness could allow the will to be challenged, compromising your original intentions and wishes as a result.

Inheritance

Wills are commonly used to set aside possessions or assets for inheritance, whether that is your own home or just a simple lump sum of money. We know how to write inheritance documents in a way that will not leave any doubt about how those assets are distributed and the terms behind them being handed over.

This includes details like overseas assets or money that is given in set amounts every year – things that can require highly specific legal language to get right. In a complex family situation, our professional assistance can make a big difference in how the inheritance is carried out.

Probate is the process of a person getting the legal right to deal with your personal property after your death. Your will can name a family member or friend that you trust to handle your assets – if you do not, then your closest living relative may have a chance to apply for probate.

A will allows you to specify your own executor (or executors) that will carry out your wishes instead. Since probate awards some control over your assets, you may have somebody you would prefer to name as your executor – former partners, close family members, a best friend, etc.

Probate might sound like a small detail, but it can be important if you have highly specific wishes for what will happen after your death. Our will writing services take these details into account, even if they do not initially appear to be all that important.

Reasons For Getting A Will Written

There are many reasons to get a will written, some more obvious than others. This includes:

You Have Specific Wishes

Wills allow you to specify the kind of Reading funeral that you want and means that your family do not have to make that decision for you. This can be important since many people have specific personal or religious preferences that will impact how they want their body to be treated after their death.

You Have Dependent Children

Providing for children after your death is important, especially if they are your own children. If you die without a will, then the courts will choose who takes care of them and what assets they are given, so specifying your wishes can be important.

You Aren’t Married

If you are not married or in a partnership, then there is no guarantee that your partner will get anything after your death. This could even include the home that you have both been living in if you owned it.

You Own Overseas Property

Owning property overseas can complicate things since inheritance laws might be different between the two countries. This often requires you to specify your own inheritance requirements – this gives your family and friends some guidelines on what they should be doing.

You Worry About Inheritance Tax

Inheritance tax can become a problem if your estate is worth more than £325,000 upon death. Specifying that everything above that threshold goes to your spouse can result in them avoiding the tax.

Things Change

Updating your will can be important if circumstances change. It is possible to keep a single will throughout your entire life (although your existing will is cancelled if you get married), but you will want to keep updating your will to make sure that it is relevant to your current wishes and list of assets.

Where to get a will written?

Online will-writing services provide a useful place to get wills written quickly and efficiently, condensing the usual will-writing process into something far more convenient. Local solicitors and online specialists like us are a great way to get your wills created on short notice.

Online wills are no less valid than wills that were written in person in Reading. In fact, many online wills are written with more care and specificity than the alternative, thanks to the wider pool of experience that online specialists like ours can draw from. Online platforms are akin to an online law firm – offering the same protection in a more convenient fashion.

Keep in mind that will writing is not a regulated market. You want to be sure that you are using will and probate services you can trust, so be sure to do your research on any local solicitor you consider. Even a licensed solicitor may not be experienced enough to write more than a simple will with minimal details.

How to get a will written?

The easiest way to get a will written is to simply approach a will-writing team and start telling them what you are looking for. Our will specialists know how to turn even the most basic of will concepts into an effective legal document, all without major delays or legal hurdles.

You can contact us directly if you need a will written by experts who know exactly what they are doing. We are more than happy to take up the responsibilities of writing your will, putting all of our expertise and past successes into producing the best document possible.

What is the Cost of a Will Writing Service?

On average, expect to pay anything from £100 to £150 for a single will, £250 for a mirror will, and £400 for trust wills in Reading. This can vary depending on where you go, but paying more for a higher-quality will is almost always a worthwhile trade.

A will writing service involves a lot of serious legal work and careful planning to ensure that the document is legally correct and free from any misunderstandings or vague passages. Even a small mistake in terminology can completely destroy an otherwise perfect document – many of the extra costs here are due to the time it takes to produce a good will.

A cheap will might technically be valid, but it may not offer the same fine print details that a higher-quality option does. This can become a significant problem at a later date – for example, a budget will using the wrong terminology for your civil partner or not specifying a legal guardian for your children.

Best will writing service near me

Finding a good will writing service in Reading can involve a lot of searching in your own time. However, the best wills come from experts, and online services mean that you do not even need to be in the same part of the country to get a will prepared for you.

Online wills are perfectly legal, meaning that they can be a great option for people who want something more than their local will-writers can offer.

Legal Will vs Online Will

Getting a will written by local legal professionals can often seem like the right choice, especially if you do not want to spend too much time searching for any alternatives. However, online documents offer far more flexibility and often come from specialists with more varied kinds of experience.

Wills can be tricky to write, and you might think that an online will writing service would be a riskier option. However, both are fully legal – the only difference is which one suits your needs best, and how well you choose the company providing it.

The Advantages Of Getting Will Written By A Solicitor

Writing your will yourself is always an option, but even then, it can be a smart idea to get a will writer to revise and reword it. This is because:

• A solicitor knows what to ask. They will cover details you did not even consider to leave no loopholes or vague details.
• A professional can draft your will correctly, making it far more legally admissible.
• A solicitor will word your will correctly and use the right kind of language, ensuring that nothing is misinterpreted and none of your wishes can be spun into something they are not.
• A good solicitor understands how to draft wills to accommodate complex family structures or tense financial stations.
• You get the option of extra steps, such as inheritance planning.

What happens if I die without making a will?

If you die without having written a will, then your assets and debts pass on to your partner. If you have no surviving partner, then any children you might have take on the estate, divided equally.

While this is sometimes fine for tight-knit families in Reading that can distribute the wealth as intended anyway, this can become a problem in almost any other situation.

Divorced or separated partners cannot inherit, but cohabiting or informally-separated partners still can. Other relatives may be able to inherit under specific circumstances if there is nobody else who can, following a specific order of priority.

If you have no people who are eligible to inherit your assets, then they pass to the Crown. This effectively puts them in the hands of the government, meaning that they are no longer accessible to your family unless somebody makes a case to prove otherwise.

What exactly is a will?

In general, a will is a document that spells out exactly what you want to happen after your death. That means the treatment of children, spouses, civil partners, bank accounts, properties, assets, and anything else that you might want to specify. It also includes your funeral preferences and any inheritances you wish to happen.

What Can you Include in a Will?

You can include a lot in a will, mostly involving who in your family or private life gets what. This might mean things like giving bank accounts to a civil partner or trying to securely store inheritances until your children are old enough to use them wisely.

What types of gifts can I include in my will?

There are three types of gifts involved in a will:

• Specific, meaning a particular item you own or amount of money you want to give.
• Non-specific, meaning a general term like “my collection of antiques”. These can sometimes require some interpretation from the beneficiaries.
• Residuary, meaning everything left after the specific and non-specific gifts. This could be to a specific person, or a general order to divide everything else up fairly.

You can also give gifts to children, held until they are 18, or give gifts directly to charities as a donation.

Can an executor of a will also be a beneficiary?

An executor in Reading can be a beneficiary, and the executor is often chosen from the main beneficiaries of the estate. Sometimes multiple are chosen to prevent bias and self-interest.

Do I need a will if I don’t own a house?

Wills cover all belongings, not just property. “Estate” does not mean your physical estate but your general assets as a whole.

What if I don’t have anything to leave?

Having a properly drafted will can be important even if you have no direct assets. You and your possessions may be worth more than you think, and you can also use a will to specify your funeral wishes.

Tips for writing a will if you have young children

Writing a will when children are involved can be hard – but we can help guide you through the process. Parental responsibility involves picking guardians for children who may be left parent-less, and naming them if you have any specific assets you want them to take on.

Always put parental responsibility first. You do not want to leave your children with nothing.

Can I include funeral wishes in my will?

A large part of the will involves funeral wishes in Reading. These can be amended if you change your mind later on.

Can a will help protect my home against potential care home fees?

While you can’t avoid care home fees, certain methods of creating a will can allow you to not pay inheritance tax.

I’m not married to my partner – should I make a will?

Making a will is important for any partnership that is not a marriage or civil partnership. Without a will, only certain situations will result in your assets being given to a non-spouse partner.

How does getting married affect your will?

Being married – or entering a civil partnership – makes your duties as will writer that much more important. Spouses and civil partners will not necessarily need to be left anything specific, but mirror wills can still be important for ensuring that certain assets pass between you if one of you dies.

Making a will and mental capacity

If a person lacks the mental capacity to create a will, then any will they create will not be legally binding. Using an online will service may allow you to get around this problem.

Our will writing service makes the process easy

Making a will can be simple if you use an online will writing service like ours. We provide a huge range of different options for creating the perfect will for your needs, discussing each point in detail to make sure that we are creating something that matches your wishes exactly.

We can deal with all kinds of specific information, from your registered civil partnership to the inclusion of a disabled family member. If you are living in England and Wales, then our services can provide exactly what you need – and we can start writing as soon as you need us.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

We at Get A Will Written in Reading are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and are part of a recognised trade body. This connection with the Solicitors Regulation Authority shows that we are taking our online service very seriously.

Can any of my beneficiaries be a witness when I am making my will?

A beneficiary can’t witness a will, and neither can the spouse or partner of those beneficiaries. While many wills are created with around two witnesses there, our online service allows each client to create separate wills in private.

Where should I store my will?

Always store your will somewhere safe. This could be a locked safe, a filing cabinet, or a special hiding place. You need the physical document, so do not lose it, and get another created if you do.

Can my will be challenged?

Any will can be challenged, but that does not mean it will necessarily be successful. Most successful challenges involve situations where somebody is ignored unfairly in your will, or you have a request or gift that does not make sense and is not possible for your family and friends to complete.

What does undue influence mean in will writing?

Undue influence happens when somebody is pressured into creating a will, adding details they normally would not. This is not a practice approved by any legal body, and wills can be contested on the grounds that they appear out-of-character or biased towards somebody who may have forcibly had it changed for their own benefit.

Not all wills are regulated – Be Careful

Not all wills are safe and reliable. Even in England and Wales, you can end up setting wills that are not tax-efficient, that use incorrect information, or that are not even legally binding. Always choose a service or solicitor you feel confident with, like us.

FAQ’s

Do debts die with you.

Debts only die with you when there is no estate left and/or no relatives left to pay them in Reading. While most debts will not incur any additional costs due to your death, they will not go away easily.

What about inheritance tax?

Inheritance tax only applies if your estate is worth more than 325,000. You can avoid this problem by splitting your money up more to get below that threshold.

Can I leave a will If I become incapacitated?

You can leave a will at any time. However, standard wills only apply if you die. The exception is living wills, which include details like whether or not you want to be resuscitated. These might also specify things that hold lasting power over your family even before you die, like property being given to family members in the event of you being severely wounded.

Can I Write My Own Will?

While you can write your own will, it is important to turn to a specialist as soon as you can. Wills require a lot of specialist legal language that the average person has not encountered before.

Even if you have every step of the writing process witnessed correctly by another person with some legal experience, the will you produce and the will we produce may feel like two separate wills.

What can I do if I think a relative’s estate has gone to the Crown?

You can attempt to claim an unclaimed estate if you think you have a reasonable justification for it. This is easiest to do when you are a relative. However, there is no guarantee that you will succeed.

Living together but not married or in a civil partnership in Reading? A ‘cohabitation agreement’ gives you protection.

Cohabitation offers you some legal protection in England and Wales. Even if you are not married, you can still take your partner’s assets in many cases.

Is it possible to change somebody’s will after they have died?

You can only change a will if everybody involved in the decision agrees. This includes people who may be worse off from the changes. Challenging a will also counts.

Get In Touch With a Specialist

If you need a will done by a professional solicitor, contact us (outside of bank holidays) and let us know what you are looking for. Our co-op legal services ensure that several of our writers can cooperate to bring you the best legal document possible, matching your exact wishes and wants.

Feel free to contact us any time – aside from bank holidays – to get a full breakdown of what we offer. The sooner you talk with us, the sooner you get your finished will.

Find More Info

Make sure you contact us today for a number of great will writing services in South East.

Here are some towns we cover near Reading.

What Others Say About Our Services

We absolutely love the service provided. Their approach is really friendly but professional. We went out to five different companies and found Will Writing Service to be value for money and their service was by far the best. Thank you for your really awesome work, we will definitely be returning!

We have used Will Writing Service for many years as they are certainly the best in the UK. The attention to detail and professional setup is what makes this company our go-to company for all our work. I highly recommend the team for the immense work - we highly recommend them!

For more information on will writing services in Reading, fill in the contact form below to receive a free quote today.

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9 top reading will writing, trust & probate solicitors.

Below we look at the 9 “best” will writing , trust and probate solicitors in Reading.

For more on how we chose the best please consult our FAQ section at the end.

Please not the following listings are in no particular order and we are not making any recommendations for any particular solicitor. Nor are we making any other financial recommendations. 

Templar Estate Planning

Description from the business: Welcome to Templar Estate Planning.

We provide estate planning services and will writing in Reading, Caversham, Berkshire.

From simple wills to complicated multiple trust arrangements to protect your assets from attacks, our team are happy to help.

COVID-19 permitted we are able to meet outside of office hours, including evenings and weekend.

We are equally happy to arrange a video call or a telephone conversation at a time convenient to you.

For more information, please get in touch with our team.

Additional Services:

Estate Planning Lawyer

Address: 59 Church St, Caversham, Reading RG4 8AX

Templar Estate Planning website

Review Score: 5 Number of Reviews: 20 Read Reviews

Parfitt Cresswell – Charles Coleman & Co

Description from the business: Our Reading law firm is host to a plethora of experienced Solicitors who specialise in a wide range of legal services.

Unlike many other law firms in Reading, we tailor our services to match your needs.

We provide Wills & Probate, Divorce, Family Matters, Property and Business services.

Address: 14 Cross St, Reading RG1 1SN

Parfitt Cresswell – Charles Coleman & Co website

Review Score: 4.8 Number of Reviews: 14 Read Reviews

E J WINTER & SON LLP

Description from the business: E J Winter & Son LLP, are solicitors in Reading that give straightforward and professional legal advice and have been since 1927.

We are solicitors serving private clients and small businesses in England and Wales from our central Reading office.

In 2021 we expanded and have now added a new Bracknell office in Ocean House.

Whether you are looking at buying or selling property, need a family law solicitor or need help with relation to wills and probate E J Law can help.

As specialist solicitors and lawyers we can help with anything law related and being in the centre of Reading and Bracknell we really are accessible from trains, buses, taxis and by car.

Complete client confidence and we will always endeavour to help the best we can.

Address: One Forbury Square, Reading RG1 3BB

E J WINTER & SON LLP website

Review Score: 4.8 Number of Reviews: 167 Read Reviews

Caversham Solicitors Ltd

Description from the business: Caversham Solicitors is a national law firm providing a wide range of legal services to businesses and individuals.

We have been serving and supporting the communities through the provision of our well respected and trusted individual and business legal services.

Our services include Probate, Wills, Divorce, Children Law, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Buying and Selling Property, Immigration, Lasting Powers of Attorney, and Employment Law.

You can now benefit from our very competitive charge rates by a dedicated team of highly-skilled and client-focused solicitors, each with their own specialisation, supported by an exceptional team of secretaries and support staff.

Wherever you are situated in the UK call us now on 0800 085 5575.

Legal services

Address: Berkshire, 51A Church St, Caversham, Reading RG4 8AX

Caversham Solicitors Ltd website

Review Score: 4.5 Number of Reviews: 98 Read Reviews

Barrett and Co Solicitors LLP

Description from the business: Exerienced.

For over 30 years, Barrett & Co has provided personalised, specialist legal advice to a wide range of individuals and businesses.

We handle wills and trusts, family law including divorce and children, employment law, commercial law including leases and business contracts, and also conveyancing.

We are a local firm, with highly regarded specialists providing good value for money.

We have exceptionally talented wills/trusts/estate and contested probate specialists who are right at the top of their field.

We have offices in The Lightbox, Advantage House on Castle Street, Reading and are easy to get to by bus, train, car or by foot/bicycle.

We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and are fully insured.

Divorce lawyer

Lawyer for the Elderly

Employment Lawyer

Family Lawyer

Property lawyer

Trial Lawyer

Address: Advantage House, The Lightbox, 87 Castle St, Reading RG1 7SN

Barrett and Co Solicitors LLP website

Review Score: 4.7 Number of Reviews: 249 Read Reviews

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors

Description from the business: Blandy & Blandy Solicitors is a leading firm of solicitors in Reading, with offices also in Henley-on-Thames and London.

With a team of more than 50 specialist solicitors, we are here to represent you and your family or business, committed to developing long-lasting relationships and to delivering outstanding client care.

Our solicitors can advise on areas including Wills and Probate, Tax and Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Family Law and Divorce, Conveyancing, Employment Law, Planning and Environmental Law, Commercial Property, Corporate and Commercial, Intellectual Property, Dispute Resolution and Litigation and Venue Licensing.

Email law@blandy.

uk or call 0118 951 6800.

Notary public

Address: 1 Friar St, Reading RG1 1DA

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors website

Review Score: 4.7 Number of Reviews: 160 Read Reviews

Legal Rights Partnership – Immigration Experts

Description from the business: Here at Legal Rights Partnership, we have years of professional experience working in various fields, including immigration, family law and employment law.

We are a specialist immigration law practice who are here to help, whether you’re dealing with asylum claims or deportation appeals.

Our team of specialists also offer other legal services including Wills & Probate, Employment Law, Divorces and Powers of Attorney.

To find out more, reach out to our experienced immigration solicitors in Berkshire, Reading and Buckinghamshire today.

Immigration Lawyer

Address: City Centre, 84 Oxford Rd, Reading RG1 7LJ

Legal Rights Partnership – Immigration Experts website

Review Score: 4.9 Number of Reviews: 270 Read Reviews

UnaVida Wealth Management Ltd

Description from the business: UnaVida Wealth Management Ltd is a top UK Independent Financial Advisory firm as verified by Vouched For and (as published in the Sunday Times / The Times).

We provide financial and investment advice to high net worth individuals, and inheritance tax planning advice for people with estates of £1.

5 M or more.

Independent Financial Advice – Financial Advisors Business Owners Specialist financial advice for business owners • Truly independent advice • Creating wealth independent of your business • Dynamic reassessment of your business goal and aspirations • Pension planning and advice • Succession planning • Estate planning

Private Individuals Independent financial advice to help achieve your goals • Pensions • Investing • Wealth plan

Financial Advisor

Tax Advisor

Address: 4 Beech Ct, Wokingham Rd, Hurst, Reading RG10 0RQ

UnaVida Wealth Management Ltd website

Review Score: 4.9 Number of Reviews: 21 Read Reviews

Wise Will Writers

Description from the business: Wise Will Writers is based in Reading Berkshire.

Covering areas Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Surrey.

Wise Will Writers are independent will writing company drafting Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Trusts, Storage and more.

We make the process easy for you by personalised guidance over the phone or by visiting you in the comfort of your home at a time convenient to you.

Address: Oxford Rd, Tilehurst, Reading RG30 6YD

Wise Will Writers website

Review Score: 4.8 Number of Reviews: 4 Read Reviews

How Did You Pick The Best Will Trust & Probate Solicitors in Reading?

We started with a dataset of 14 listed Reading solicitors and will writing services we could find via Google Maps.

From there, we removed any listing that did not meet the following criteria.

• Had no website
• Had no reviews
• Had an average review score below 4.0

At this point if we had 17 or fewer listings we listed all of them.

For cities where we were left with more than 17 solicitors we made further revisions by either increasing the required review score (e.g. going from a minimum of 4.0 to 4.9) and/or increasing the minimum number of required reviews (e.g. going from at least 1 review to at least 10).

In our view a solicitor which has 100 5* star reviews is likely more accurate than one which only has a single 5* review.

Note we only used review data from Google Maps and not any other third-party websites.

How much is will writing in Reading?

It really depends on what you need.

For the simplest wills you can take advantage of free charity will writing services or use an online service which with prices starting around just £30 .

More complex wills, trusts and probate issues will cost significantly more. You can use the from below to get a free quote.

Solicitors In Other Cities

Northampton Will Writing Derby Will Writing Leeds Will Writing Plymouth Will Writing Stockport Will Writing

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Distributing your estate

Making a Will is the only way of ensuring that after you pass away your estate is distributed as you wish it to be. If you pass without creating a Will, your estate fall under the rules of Intestacy .

In addition, if you have young children it is essential that you make a Will to set out who should look after your children if the unthinkable happens before they are 18 and you are no longer around to look after them.

When preparing your Will, we will discuss all of the options available to you. By the end of the process, we will provide you with a Will that is specifically tailored to your particular needs and requirements.

Options available for all

Our team of specialist Will writing lawyers have experience in drafting a whole range of Wills, including:

• A single Will for an individual.
• Mirror Wills , where a couple make Wills that are broadly similar, for example, leaving the majority of the estate to the surviving partner and, thereafter, to their children in equal shares.
• Wills for so-called “blended” families, where there is a combination of provision for a new partner, but also protected provision for children from a previous relationship.
• Wills containing Trusts , either creating fixed interests for specified beneficiaries or being discretionary for a group of potential beneficiaries.
• Complex Wills for people with complicated asset and financial circumstances.

If you need a Will prepared in a hurry, for example, because you are going travelling or about to undergo an operation and wish to put your arrangements in place first, then please contact us about our Will writing services and we will do all we can to assist you.

Common Will Writing Questions

If you're thinking of creating a will but still have unanswered questions, our legal team have put together frequently asked will writing questions to help put your mind at ease.

Can I use my Will to take care of my pet?

Absolutely, for legal purposes your pets are viewed as your possessions and therefore you can leave your pets to named individuals or a charity. If you want to leave money to go towards your pet’s care and maintenance then this can be discussed in detail with your solicitor.

What happens to a Will when a civil partnership is converted to a marriage?

Nothing, the marriage is deemed to have existed at the point when the civil partnership was formed. Any Wills made after the civil partnership will still be valid despite the subsequent marriage.

I am due to become a parent/grandparent, can I leave assets to my unborn child/ grandchild?

Yes, you can! Your Solicitor can draft your Will to deal with any future-born children or grandchildren that might be born after the date of your Will but before the date of your death.

At K J Smith we can discuss your circumstances with you to ensure you are leaving your Estate in the most tax efficient manner.

Can my partner and I make Wills to sign right after our marriage/civil partnership?

You can however it is much safer to have a Will prepared prior to your wedding day, which is made in contemplation of your marriage. This is because marriage automatically revokes any Will you have in place, unless your Will is specifically drafted to withstand the marriage.

At K J Smith we can draft your Will so that it is ‘made in contemplation of your marriage’ and therefore still take effect after it. This ensures that if something awful were to happen to either of you immediately after your wedding that your Will still stands.

Who can be a witness to a Will?

Witnessing a Will is a hugely important part of a Will process, and unless it is done correctly it can invalidate your Will. For this reason at K J Smith we always prefer to act as your witness to ensure that your Will is correctly executed.

A Will requires two witnesses. Each witness should be an independent person who is over 18 years. You should use someone completely unconnected to your Will, such as a neighbour or family friend, who are not referred to in the Will.

Why you should consider a Lasting Power of Attorney

Putting in place a Lasting Power of Attorney is an opportunity for you to assign someone who you trust and know very well to be in charge of your finances, medication, living arrangements and more. There are two types of Lasting Power of Attorney which involve different aspects of your life.

If you would like to find out more about Powers of Attorney, please find further details on our Lasting Power of Attorney service page , which explains each type of Power of Attorney and how you can g et in touch with our expert Solicitors and receive a free initial 15 minute telephone appointment .

A team you can trust

We offer a free initial 15 minute telephone appointment to give you the opportunity to speak to us about our Will writing services, before deciding if you wish to proceed in instructing us to act on your behalf.

Please contact K J Smith Solicitors on 01491 630000 ( Henley on Thames Head Office ), 0118 418 1000 ( Reading ), 0118 418 1200 ( Reading Central ), 01256 584000 ( Basingstoke ), 01483 370100 ( Guildford ), 01494 629000 ( Beaconsfield ), 01344 513000 ( Ascot ) , 01635 785 100 ( Newbury ), 01962 587900 ( Winchester ) , 023 8200 2111 ( Southampton ), 01727 295 555 ( St Albans ) or email [email protected] .

We also serve a wide range of other areas including Abingdon, Bracknell, Gerrards Cross, Maidenhead, Marlow, Oxford, Slough, Wokingham, Pangbourne, and High Wycombe.

To find out how we can help you, please contact us for a free initial consultation. Call or email, we will be happy to speak to you about your options and how we can help.

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If you would like to visit our team of family solicitors, we have offices in Henley-on-Thames (Head Office) Reading , Reading (Central) , Basingstoke , Guildford , Beaconsfield , Ascot , Newbury & Winchester , St Albans , and Southampton . We serve a wide range of other areas including Abingdon, Bracknell, Gerrards Cross, Maidenhead, Marlow, Oxford, Slough, High Wycombe and Wokingham.

Why not contact our team of divorce solicitors for a free initial consultation today? We offer a free initial consultation that can take place in any one of our offices or over the telephone.

Client Testimonials

We are proud to have represented many excellent clients. Below are some comments our clients have made about us.

I wanted to take a moment to extend my heartfelt gratitude to [Kulbir Rahi] for your exceptional representation over the past two years during my divorce proceedings.

I just wanted to thank you [Kulbir Rahi] for all for your help and support during this difficult period and I am so relieved to finally conclude matters.

Thanks so much [Kulbir Rahi] for all your efforts to achieve this, I could not have done it without you. You have been brilliant!

Wendy Little

I would like to thank you [Kulbir Rahi] and the Ascot team for your integrity, support and sound advice. While you were professional at all times I always felt you were very approachable.

"Thank you so much [Kulbir Rahi] for always being a calm voice of reason in the storm of emotions, fear, self-doubt and guilt."

"In terms of feedback, I can’t really fault the support you [ Kulbir Rahi ] have provided me over the past couple of years, and in particular, your responsiveness at key times has been appreciated..."

"I would like to thank you [ Anna Ferro ] very much for all your hard work and persistence with my case. You have been immensely helpful..."

"I would like to thank you [ Anna Ferro ] for your services and I appreciate all the work you have done for me…. I'm sure you can understand what a huge relief this is..."

"Thank you again [ Anna Ferro ] for all your help, you don’t know how supportive you’ve been and the strength I’ve drawn from you is irreplaceable."

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you personally [ Kulbir Rahi ] for all the advice and support offered by yourself over the last two years..."

Joanna Fahy

Join our team.

We are always looking for exceptional people to join our team.

Whether you are considering a move now or at some point in the future, we would love to hear from you and learn more about your career goals and motivations.

At K J Smith we pride ourselves on our commitment to offering support, guidance and career development across all roles. You will receive a competitive salary along with a comprehensive range of benefits.

Find Out More

Kulbir Rahi

Partner at our Ascot office

"I joined K J Smith with an open mind and with the expectation of developing and adding diversity and challenge to my career, having spent 23 years in a comfortable position with a traditional high street practice.

I can honestly say that K J Smith have exceeded my expectations. Since joining, I have felt supported and encouraged by the firm’s continued commitment to growth and improvement. The company allow staff at all levels to have a voice and recognise the importance of investment in their employees at every level."

Read other staff testimonials here .

Free Initial Consultation

Will Writing With Harrisons Solicitors

In the UK there are over 31 million adults who are at risk of dying without a valid will.  This means that one in two adults in the UK have no will provision, this is estimated at nearly 2 in 3 by the National Consumer Council.  Over 180,000 people die intestate, which means that at the time of death there was no will in place. What is extremely worrying is the significant problems dying without a will can cause to the people you leave behind.  We at Harrison’s Solicitors strongly believe that should be avoided where at all possible. This is why we provide a will writing service in Reading , Caversham , and Woodley . Please contact the offices directly for more information. 

Why do so many people not have a will in place?

‘I will make a will at some point, it’s just not the right time now.’

At Harrison’s Solicitors, our will writing experts believe that the most common reasons for people not having a will in place is procrastination.  We believe that the only way of ensuring that your estate is distributed as you wish is by making a will. Over 25% of those not having a will suggest that they intend to do so later in life. Dying intestate means that your estate will be distributed in the UK solely according to intestacy law , which may not reflect your wishes.

• It has never occurred to me to make a will
• I do not feel that I have the estate or assets to be worth making a will
• It is my intention to make a will when I am older
• I am unable to afford the cost of making a will
• I do not know how to start the will making process

With age comes wisdom

Those aged 55 and over are three times more likely to have a will than those aged 18-34. However, even in this age group more than a third (37%) are still without one. The most striking figure, however, is from the 35-54 age group. This is the group most likely to have dependents and other major financial commitments such as mortgages, yet nearly three quarters have taken no steps to ensure their loved ones would inherit according to their wishes.

What age group have a will in place?

The following table suggests that it is those that are over the age of 55 that have the wisdom to have a will in place.  They are three times more likely to have a will than those aged 18-34. What is worrying is that those individuals aged 35-54 age group are the most likely to have dependents and major financial commitments such as mortgages. However, nearly three quarters have yet to take steps to ensure their loved ones inherit their estate as per their wishes.

What % of People have a will?

35 – 54 = 28%

18 – 34 = 15%

Jargon Buster

A Will – the most common means to distribute your estate after your death as per your wishes

Intestate – dying without a will

Living will – is a statement you can make during your lifetime about the medical treatment you may or may not wish to receive under certain medical circumstances.

Executor – the person or institute appointed to carry out the terms of your will

Estate – the assets that you hold following your death once all your debts and funeral expenses have been paid.

Probate – This is the legal process to which enables the executors of a deceased person to obtain legal authority to deal with the deceased’s assets and distribute their estate. If successful the Probate Registry will give a Grant of Probate to the executors to authorise them to carry out the terms of the will. If there is no will or the will is invalid for some reason the process can become a lot more complicated, time-consuming and expensive.

What are the benefits of making a will?

By not making a will, UK Intestacy law will decide how your estate is distributed and this can produce problems to those that you leave behind due to undesirable outcomes. UK law sets a hierarchy on who is responsible for handling your financial affairs after your death. Often this can create problems due to where they live, their age, their health or a change in the relationship between you and them over time.

Making a will allows you to ensure how your estate is distributed. You can decide who will benefit from your assets and who is responsible to execute your instructions after your death.

By making a will through a qualified solicitor like Harrison’s Solicitors, the chance of a problem or dispute arising after your death is significantly reduced. In most instances, disputes arise when someone dies without a will, as certain people are entitled to apply to the court to challenge the provision made by the intestacy rules. In the UK, for example, with the number of families living in cohabitation, a long-standing unmarried partner would receive nothing under the intestacy rules, so may have to consider making an application to a court to be awarded a share of the estate. There is huge stress and expense attached to these type of claims.

It is cheaper, quicker and considerably less stressful to administer an estate where there is a will. If you die without a will in place, it may be necessary for your estate to commission genealogical research to identify any lost or unknown relatives which can be time consuming and expensive.

A will can also sometimes be challenged on the basis that it is unjust, the courts are generally more reluctant to interfere in the provision made by a will than that provided for by the intestacy rules.

By making a will, you can ensure you make provision for those that need it as well as protecting assets for other beneficiaries. For example, couples who each have children from previous relationships, a trust can be used to ring-fence a part of the estate for those children. The intestacy rules, however, may result in all the marital assets being passed down to the surviving spouse, with the children of the first spouse getting nothing. This, in effect, produces a lottery, with the prize going to the children of the second spouse to die.

Expressing your views clearly can provide a very helpful and practical guidance for those you leave behind. You can nominate someone to act as a guardian for your children if you die whilst your children are minors. You can also state your funeral arrangements in your will so that there are no disputes interpreting your wishes. These are matters that are not commonly discussed within a family, so formally expressing your views is beneficial.

By making a will, it enables you to preserve your assets for all beneficiaries. For example, if you have property and/or business interests, you may want those to go to certain people, whilst leaving further assets to others. The intestacy rules provide for a division of your whole estate, if more than one person is due a share, this can necessitate the sale of assets. Ultimately, this can cause problems and uncertainty for your personnel. If you have a business and/or property, it may need to be sold despite it being the home of a particular beneficiary or other dependents.

By having a properly drafted trust you could enable someone to manage the inheritance that you leave to a disabled or vulnerable person.  This ensures the intended beneficiary does not lose his or her means to benefits.

Bespoke Will Writing Services by Harrison’s Solicitors

Contact our will writing experts for further information. Our team of solicitors can professionally draft your will for you, or aid you in reviewing your will as it stands.

To make an appointment to discuss your will, contact our local offices directly on the numbers below:

Top 10 Wills, Trusts & Probate Solicitors in Reading

Here you can see the best Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors in Reading. These results are based predominantly on the reviews collected from clients in the last 12 months on ReviewSolicitors, but take into account a law firm’s accreditations, experience, size, notable cases, Legal Ombudsman and disciplinary records and other important information. Remember to leave a review after you have used a firm!

Search for a particular firm

Average review rating

Poole alcock llp.

2041 reviews

Ranked # 1 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

Value for money - excellent.

"First steps"

- 24/07/2024

"Free Consultation"

- 25/06/2024

Poole Alcock LLP have Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Total solicitors: 0

Herrington Carmichael Llp

587 reviews

Ranked # 2 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

Herrington Carmichael Llp have Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors

491 reviews

Ranked # 3 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Matthew"

- 06/08/2024

"Kate"

- 02/08/2024

Blandy & Blandy Solicitors have 14 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Star Legal Limited

423 reviews

Ranked # 4 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Excellent Service"

- 18/12/2023

"Great Company to deal with "

- 21/08/2023

Star Legal Limited have Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Couchman Hanson Limited

220 reviews

Ranked # 5 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Excellent service, support and outcome"

- 25/07/2024

"New Wills"

- 04/07/2024

Couchman Hanson Limited have 2 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Total solicitors: 6

Parfitt Cresswell Limited

299 reviews

Ranked # 6 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Strongly recommend Anne-Marie from this firm! "

- 21/01/2024

"Emma"

- 20/12/2023

Parfitt Cresswell Limited have Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Clifton Ingram LLP

420 reviews

Ranked # 7 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Contact Order Proceedings - excellent care, excellent result"

- 16/07/2024

"Great service and highly recommend!"

- 19/05/2024

Clifton Ingram LLP have 3 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Irwin Mitchell LLP

11776 reviews

Ranked # 8 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Could not be more helpful"

- 19/10/2023

"Excellent service"

- 29/04/2023

Irwin Mitchell LLP have 1 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Blake Morgan LLP

Ranked # 9 out of 45 wills, trusts & probate solicitor firms in reading.

Blake Morgan LLP have Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Cavendish Legal Group

26712 reviews

Ranked # 10 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Best conveyancing experience of my life"

- 16/01/2023

Cavendish Legal Group have Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Pm Law Limited

758 reviews

Ranked # 11 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

Pm Law Limited have Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

334 reviews

Ranked # 12 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Outstanding Service"

- 05/08/2024

"Review"

- 29/07/2024

HCR Law have 1 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Total solicitors: 4

Pm Property Lawyers Limited

904 reviews

Ranked # 13 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

Pm Property Lawyers Limited have Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

439 reviews

Ranked # 14 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Need a Solicitor?"

- 12/02/2024

"Amazing service provided"

- 01/08/2023

IBB Law have Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Total solicitors: 11

Barrett & Co Solicitors

318 reviews

Ranked # 15 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Wills and LPA"

- 13/08/2024

"Wills and power of attorney preparation"

Barrett & Co Solicitors have 12 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Total solicitors: 16

CP Law Solicitors

120 reviews

Ranked # 16 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Brilliant service"

- 09/08/2024

"Probate "

- 08/08/2024

CP Law Solicitors have 3 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Total solicitors: 8

Rowberry Morris Thames Valley LLP

369 reviews

Ranked # 17 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Wills, Trusts and Probate"

- 21/06/2024

Rowberry Morris Thames Valley LLP have 2 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

K J Smith Solicitors

401 reviews

Ranked # 18 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"A special mention to Aadil and Bel"

- 01/08/2024

"Mark"

- 28/07/2024

K J Smith Solicitors have Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

E J Winter & Son LLP

219 reviews

Ranked # 19 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Circle"

"Dawn"

E J Winter & Son LLP have 4 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Total solicitors: 2

Boyes Turner LLP

193 reviews

Ranked # 20 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Assent"

- 16/08/2024

"Recent divorce proceedings"

- 15/08/2024

Boyes Turner LLP have 8 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Total solicitors: 38

Thp Solicitors Limited

104 reviews

Ranked # 21 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

Gateley plc.

178 reviews

Ranked # 22 out of 45 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitor firms in Reading

"Supportive approach & understanding"

- 11/06/2021

"An excellent job"

- 14/06/2021

Gateley Plc have Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Reeds Solicitors Llp

Ranked # 23 out of 45 wills, trusts & probate solicitor firms in reading, richard wilson solicitors limited, ranked # 24 out of 45 wills, trusts & probate solicitor firms in reading.

"Thank you Jon"

- 10/04/2024

"Understanding "

- 16/02/2024

Richard Wilson Solicitors Limited have 1 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

Total solicitors: 9

BDB Pitmans LLP

Ranked # 25 out of 45 wills, trusts & probate solicitor firms in reading.

BDB Pitmans LLP have 4 Wills, Trusts & Probate solicitors ready to assist with your matter. Click here to contact directly or find out more.

London Corporate Legal Limited

Ranked # 26 out of 45 wills, trusts & probate solicitor firms in reading, elizabeth middleton solicitors, ranked # 27 out of 45 wills, trusts & probate solicitor firms in reading, wls solicitors limited, ranked # 28 out of 45 wills, trusts & probate solicitor firms in reading, eversheds sutherland (international) llp, ranked # 29 out of 45 wills, trusts & probate solicitor firms in reading, penningtons manches cooper llp, ranked # 30 out of 45 wills, trusts & probate solicitor firms in reading.

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WILL WRITING SERVICES

Why write a will.

No matter what stage of life applies to you, writing and regularly updating a Will is one of the most important pieces of administration you should carry out.

Dying without having made a Will or ‘intestate’ can cause many problems, from assets being caught up in probate for very long periods to those same assets ending up in the hands of people you had no intention of benefitting.

For example; a married couple with young children where one spouse dies intestate :

As things stand the surviving spouse would receive the first £322,000 of the deceased’s estate (excluding joint assets) with the remainder being split equally between the children and survivor. Were the deceased’s estate value, passed to the children, to exceed any available nil rate band then inheritance tax at 40% could apply on the excess.

Having made the decision to make a Will, possibly for the first time, there are a few points to consider.

Will writing service

Using a professional Will writing service such as Kept Assets is certainly the right thing to do. We will take your instructions and translate them into a document which accurately reflects your wishes.

We ensure that the Will can be easily understood by your executors, your family and the probate court. This avoids delay and possible hardship to your loved ones.

Call on  01635 959111 or fill in our online contact form to send us a message about how we can help you with our Will writing service.

Before you start please consider the following:

Who will be your executor(s).

Please consider who will be the most appropriate person to act for you. Perhaps their knowledge of your family or their level of understanding of your affairs should be considered. Please remember to ask them if they will act, a refusal should not be considered an insult, some people simply would prefer not to have the responsibility.

What do you own and how?

Please consider and collate documentary evidence of your whole estate and the estimated value of the major assets such as your house, major investments, life insurance policies, pension funds and valuables. Some of these might be held with a spouse or be subject to an existing trust.

Who gets what?

It might seem obvious but without clarity, your intended beneficiaries might not get the things you intend. What if they go before you?

Burial or Cremation?

Please don’t rely solely on your Will to tell those that remain what you wish. It is often the case that the Will is read after the service. It is a good idea to tell your family occasionally “when I go I would like to be………”

Make a list

Make sure your executors or family know where the Will is kept and how they can gain access to it. You might also consider listing important items such as secure password storage for bank accounts, utilities, insurance documents etc. to accompany your Will.

Kept Assets can provide a secure storage facility for your Will and supporting documents for a small fixed annual fee.

Think about who will witness your documents, they cannot be family members or beneficiaries of the Will and must be over 18 and have mental capacity. Members of staff here at either Kept Assets or Dawn Slater can of course act as witnesses should you require.

Once we have recorded and collated your wishes, we will produce a draft Will document for approval or amendment. On final approval we will produce a full printed Will for signature, witness and registration.

Mirror Wills

Many couples own their assets such as the family home or bank accounts ‘jointly’ which means that on first death, these pass into the sole ownership of the survivor. For many couples considering their Wills, this structure can work well especially if the value falls below current inheritance tax thresholds and where there are no concerns about losing value to third parties such as the local authority or a new spouse.

The intent is often that once the surviving spouse has passed, some residual value will go to any children of the first marriage but, if re-marriage has occurred, the original Will becomes void and it is possible that all assets could pass outside of the original family.

The use of Mirror Wills in estate planning, whereby each party in a marriage or civil partnership leaves their share of the estate to their spouse or partner with an identical reciprocation from the other, has been common practice for many years. Such planning can begin to fail where the overall estate value, on second death, exceeds the joint allowances for inheritance tax therefore triggering a charge (which is payable prior to probate being granted).

Recently, Will writers have added a simple trust to their proposal in-order to create a ‘life interest’ for a surviving spouse. The life interest trust is created to allow the surviving spouse to enjoy the value of their departed’s assets without them becoming part of their own estate. The assets held within the life interest trust would ordinarily pass to the children or other intended recipients on second death without the worry of third party influence.

Such planning relies on the splitting of ownership of the family home into ‘tenants in common’ and selected other assets being held in sole name rather than jointly.

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The Reading Of The Will

Everyone will have seen it in the movies; a gathering of potential beneficiaries gathered in a solicitor’s office, listening to the formal reading of the will of their recently deceased relative. It’s an evocative image, and one that many people believe is the truth. The reality is that this does not happen – there is no actual formal reading of the will. Therefore not all of the beneficiaries need to be present when the will is looked at. Its easy to mix fiction and fact on this matter, so when does the reading of the will take place?

Clearing a few things up

Firstly, the testator must be dead before the will can be read by anyone else. No one has the right to see (and certainly not to influence ) the will before the testator dies. Unless the testator themselves wants to show it to others, it should be kept safe, ideally under lock and key. It is also important to remember, that nothing in the will can come to pass until the testator has died. Once they have died, the contents of the will can come into effect, thanks to the efforts of the executor . Another important piece of advice: again, movies will make you believe the will reading is done after the funeral. Many people include funeral directions within their wills, so this would be a mistake. More often than not, the will needs to be read as soon after the death as possible. If the executor is not the person arranging the funeral then the person who is dealing with it should be allowed to see the part of the will pertaining to the service and instructions on what should be done with the body. They won’t need to see the rest of the will.

Complete Your Will Online

Use our online bespoke Will instructions form and a member of our Will Writing team will professional write and then post your Will.

Preparing a Will has never been more important.

The Executor’s Duties

Generally, the executor is the only person who will (and must) read the will. If they choose to allow others to read it, that is their choice, no laws say they must. Although some feel that it would do more harm than good, the executor is within their legal rights to refuse when/if asked, even if that person is a family member.  Any beneficiary who is entitled to receive a part of the estate, may not be entitled to see the will. And entitled to find out what they’ll be receiving from the estate, therefore must be informed of being a beneficiary. This does not mean that they need to be given a copy of the will, or shown the original will, however; they can simply be told of the contents.

Plus, they only need to know what they are receiving, and not what anyone else who is mentioned in the will will get. After the grant of probate has been issued and is completed, the original will is submitted to the Probate Registry , and it becomes a public document so anyone, whether they are involved in the estate or not, can see what was written in it.

If you need to apply for probate, please use our online probate application form . Once submitted our team of probate professionals will be in touch with a fixed fee cost.

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• Wills, Trusts & Estates

Will Writing Services

A Will is a legal document that lets you decide what happens to your money, property, and possessions (your ‘estate’) after your death. It allows you to clearly set out your wishes and decide who’s responsible (executor) for dealing with your estate. It also sets out any procedures the executor may need to follow. With effective planning, a Will can also make sure that your loved ones are provided for in the most tax-efficient way.

If you don’t make a Will, the law will divide your estate according to what’s known as the rules of intestacy. These rules are very fixed and may not reflect what you’d like to happen to your wealth, or what’s most tax efficient.

More information about Wills can be found in our Wills Guide . You can also choose one of the options listed:

• Making A Will
• Our Online and Postal Will Service
• Our Bespoke Will Service
• Reviewing And/Or Changing Your Existing Will
• Accessing Your Documents
• Contesting Or Defending A Will
• Choosing Or Being Named As An Executor

Making a Will

Our friendly team of experts can help you prepare a Will to:

• Make sure your money and property go to the people you want them to go to
• Minimise inheritance tax
• Name trusted people as executors* to sort out your affairs when you die
• Appoint legal guardians for any children who are still minors
• Reflect changes in your life circumstances, such as marriage or divorce, or the birth of children or grandchildren
• Ensure gifts of personal items are left to the right people
• Set up trusts and make gifts to charity.

*We act as executors for many clients and have administered thousands of estates.

Choosing the right Will service for you

Our Will services are easy to use and can be tailored to your needs. We can help you decide what type of service would suit you best.

Our online and postal Will service

This fixed fee service may be perfect for you if:

• Your estate, personal circumstances and wishes are relatively straightforward
• You’re happy to complete a secure online questionnaire or complete and return a postal form
• You don’t want advice on inheritance tax planning, trusts or other aspects covered by our bespoke service.

And with this service, if you appoint Irwin Mitchell as your executor, you’ll also get access to our Wills Assured service.

Fees for our online will service are £175 for a single Will or £260 for ‘mirror’ Wills.

If you prefer to use our postal service, fees are £195 for a single Will or £295 for ‘mirror’ Wills and you can download the form  and send it back to us.

Our bespoke Will service

We know that life can sometimes be more complex, involving scenarios that are unique to you and your family. This means your Will may need to reflect this, with a more tailored and bespoke solution to give you and your loved ones the confidence and security you need.

You may prefer dedicated legal and tax advice tailored to your needs if:

• You prefer to discuss your wishes and options with an adviser at an in person or virtual meeting or on the phone
• You would like to talk about inheritance tax planning or trusts
• You need advice on how to provide for your beneficiaries, taking into account their particular circumstances
• You have business interests, agricultural assets, overseas assets, international connections or your estate is over £1m
• You are a beneficiary of a trust
• You have made gifts over £3,000 in any tax year
• You or your partner have children from a previous relationship.

Our fees for the Will drafting elements of this service start from £850 plus VAT for a single Will or from £1,050 plus VAT for ‘mirror’ Wills and depend on your particular requirements. We’ll be able to give you an indication of the likely cost after an initial chat and, once we know more, we’ll confirm fees in writing before we proceed. We’ll also highlight other services that may be of interest to you such as advice on estate planning, powers of attorney, trusts and tax.

Sharia-compliant Islamic Wills

A Sharia-compliant Islamic Will (Wasiyyah) can be suitable for Muslims who’d like their assets to pass in accordance with the principles of Sharia law. Our solicitors are experts in Sharia law compliance and can help you provide for your family in a way that follows your faith.

Wills Assured Service

As part of our online and postal Will Service, we also offer our Wills Assured Service. Once finalised, we can store your Will for you. If you appoint Irwin Mitchell Trustees Limited as the executor of your estate, you’ll also able to make free amendments as part of our Wills Assured Service .

This package of additional benefits is designed to make life simpler for you and your loved ones knowing:

• Your Will is kept safe and will be easy to access after your death
• You can update it at any time if your circumstances change
• All your important digital information is in one place.

Reviewing or changing your existing Will (Adding a Codicil)

An up-to-date Will is essential for making sure your wishes reflect your current situation and includes everyone you wish.

It’s good practice to recheck your Will every five years, especially to make sure it considers any changes in tax regulations that might affect you.

We suggest reviewing your Will following major life changes, for example if:

• You get married or divorced
• Any of your beneficiaries get married or die
• New children or grandchildren are born, and you want them to inherit
• There’s a significant change in your financial circumstances
• You come into any inheritance – this could change the value of your estate and the Inheritance Tax payable.

With our Wills Assured Service , standard updates are free. That means you don’t have to worry about paying extra fees to keep your Will fit for purpose.

Deciding whether to make changes to your existing Will (adding a codicil) or to write a new one will depend on the scale and number of changes you want to make. A codicil is an addition to a Will that can amend or revoke parts of it. This can be suitable if there are just one or two small changes.

If you need any large revisions, it’s often better to write a new Will to avoid confusion. We can explore these options with you and advise on what’s best for you and your loved ones.

Accessing your documents

Your Will belongs to you, and we’ll happily store it for you and provide you with a copy when you need one. If at any stage you’d like your original Will returned to you, just let us know and we’ll tell you what we need to send it to you. When you die, your executors will need the original Will. We can explain the terms of the Will to them and help them deal with the probate process .

Contesting or defending a Will

If you’ve been left out of a Will, haven’t been left as much as you expected, or think the Will is wrong in some way, you might be able to contest it.

Contesting a Will can be challenging and feel daunting. With the help of our Will Disputes Team, we can support and guide you through the process. We can also help if you are an executor defending against a Will dispute .

Lasting Power Of Attorney

At the same time as thinking about your Will, it makes sense to also consider making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) . These are useful if you’re worried about losing the ability to manage your own affairs in the future. We can discuss the options with you and help you appoint the right person to make decisions on your behalf if you lose mental capacity.

If you want to find out more,  contact the team today .

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Will Writing Services - More Information

How do i make a will.

Making a Will is simple. There’s a few ways to do it:

• Online – the questionnaire  only takes ten minutes to complete
• By post – download the form  and send it back to us
• By phone – call and speak to us
• In person – come and speak to us in one of our national offices

We recommend our online or postal service if your estate is relatively straightforward. If you have more complex requirements, or you’d like to talk about tax-planning or asset protection options such as setting up a trust, we advise speaking to us on the phone or coming in to see one of our experts.

Call us today for an initial consultation on 0370 1500 100 – or use our online enquiry form  and we’ll give you a call back.

How Much Does It Cost?

This depends on your requirements and the complexity of your estate. Standard Wills offered through our online service cost:

• £175 (including VAT) for a single Will
• £260 (including VAT) for ‘mirror’ Wills (for couples - if your needs are very similar).

If your estate is fairly straightforward we recommend this option. Get started with our online wills service  today.

You can also use our postal service by downloading the form and sending it in to us. The fees for this service are:

• £195 (including VAT) for a single Will
• £295 (including VAT) for ‘mirror’ Wills.

For both these services there may be additional costs if you need more complex advice. We would let you know about these before drafting your Will.

More complex and high value estates require more dedicated legal advice tailored to your needs, to ensure you and your loved ones are provided for in the most tax-efficient way .

For this service we recommend contacting the team to arrange an appointment with one of our experts who can let you know the options available to you.

What Should I Think About When Making My Will?

Everyone’s circumstances are different, but some of the things to consider when making a Will are:

• The value of your estate – inheritance tax (IHT) is generally due on anything over the £325,000 threshold (£650,000 for married couples and civil partners) once mortgage and other debts are deducted
• A new IHT allowance of £125,000 may apply if you own a property and leave some of your estate to relatives like children and grandchildren.
• How you own your assets – if you co-own property with your spouse, the type of tenancy you have will affect whether or not they can continue to live there after your death
• Who you want to leave your assets to (i.e. your beneficiaries)
• Who you would like to be the  executors of your estate
• Whether some assets would be best placed in a trust for asset protection purposes.

These are important decisions to make and you should seek legal advice to make sure your estate is structured in the best way for you and your beneficiaries.

Read through our Wills Checklist  to see if you’ve got everything covered.

Can You Store My Will?

Yes we can. Our specialist storage facility ensures your Will is kept secure from the risk of theft, fire or water damage. It also means it’s easily accessed after your death, giving you peace of mind and making things easier for your loved ones.

This service is free for our standard, bespoke and Wills Assured  clients.

Meet The Team

Our team has decades of experience helping people prepare, amend and execute Wills. We’re regularly appointed as executors and are very experienced in estate administration.

We also have experts in trust administration and tax compliance, which means we have everything you need to plan effectively.

We have considerable experience in complex estates and frequently work with international and high net worth clients.

Irwin Mitchell are a very professional, trustworthy and straightforward company to deal with. I would recommend them to anyone."

Elderly Care Crisis: A Tipping Point

Our new research predicts that the UK retirement living sector will run out of beds and face a multi-billion pound funding gap in the next 10 years.

This upcoming crisis means that planning ahead is more important then ever - find out more about how our Later Life Planning experts can help you prepare

"It’s never too late to start but the earlier you do the easier it is." - Richard Potts, CEO of IM Asset Management

Frequently Asked Questions

When do you need to review your will.

Having an up-to-date Will is essential to make sure your plans for your estate reflect your current situation and include everyone you want to include.

Its good practice to recheck your Will every five years, especially to make sure it takes into account any changes in tax regulations that might affect you.

You should also review your Will following major life changes, for example if:

• New children or grandchildren are born who you want to inherit
• You come into any inheritance – this could change the value of your estate and the Inheritance Tax payable

With our Wills Assured service, standard updates are free – so you don’t have to worry about paying extra fees to keep your Will fit for purpose.  Find out more.

Why Choose Irwin Mitchell?

Irwin Mitchell is a leading law firm with considerable expertise in the area of wills and estates. We’ve helped thousands of clients prepare for the future with strategic estate planning.

The team frequently receives five star reviews from our customers on Trustpilot, and we’re recognised in the leading UK legal guide, including the Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.

We’re adept at dealing with complex estates and also handling international probate issues for clients who have assets in different countries. We also have the benefit of acting as executor for many of our clients, which allows us to bring our detailed knowledge of the probate process into our will writing services.

We pride ourselves on providing clear advice in plain English, free from jargon, and our team is always on hand to discuss any questions you have.

Can You Help Me Change My Will?

Yes – we can help you write a new will or add a codicil to your existing will. A codicil is an addition to a Will that can amend or revoke parts of it. It can be enough if there are just one or two small changes, but if you need any substantial revisions it’s better to write a new Will to avoid confusion.

Our probate and tax experts can also check that your Will is structured in the best way for your estate and be able to advise on any amends where necessary.

Standard updates are free with our Wills Assured  service.

Related Information - Will Writing Services

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• Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The Court Case That Could Sink RFK Jr.’s Campaign

If a challenge to his residency in new york state succeeds, it could lead to other big problems for kennedy..

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Lev Radin/AP

This week in an Albany , New York courtroom, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is fighting a legal challenge that has the potential to sink much of his independent presidential campaign. The dispute is over where he calls home.

In a lawsuit that was engineered by Clear Choice PAC, a super PAC formed earlier this year by political allies of President Joseph Biden to combat independent candidates or third-party efforts that could threaten the Democratic ticket, several New York State voters challenged Kennedy’s position on the state’s presidential ballot, contending that he falsely stated his residence on the nominating petitions he filed to obtain ballot access. They argue that this renders his petitions invalid and that he ought to be tossed from the ballot. (The original complaint also challenged signatures on Kennedy’s petitions, but that matter has been put to the side.)

Being kicked off the Empire State’s ballot would be embarrassing for Kennedy but not likely to affect the overall presidential race. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to win the heavily Democratic state. But strategists for Clear Choice PAC say they have identified about 18 states where Kennedy is on the ballot and could be vulnerable to similar challenges if he loses the New York case. This collection of states includes most of the swing states, where Kennedy could impact the ultimate outcome by drawing votes from Harris or GOP nominee Donald Trump. (In some states, if Kennedy loses this case, he would likely be allowed to correct his filings.)

The key issue is simple and involves a private room in a one-family house in bucolic Katonah, New York.

The house is owned by the wife of an old friend of Kennedy. RFK Jr. claims this room is his official residence and has listed it on his ballot petitions in New York and in ballot filings in other states. The petitioners contend that this is a ruse and that he has been living in California for years with his wife Cheryl Hines, the actor best known for co-starring with Larry David in HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm .

Each side has submitted court filings arguing its case. In an affidavit , Kennedy insists that “at the very marrow of my being” he is a New Yorker. He notes that he is registered to vote at this Katonah address, that his car is registered there, and that he pays New York State income taxes. He adds that he maintains falconry, fishing, and hunting licenses at this address. “My life, my passions, the years I spent raising my family, my career and my political contacts, and my orientation have been and are ever in my home state of New York,” says Kennedy, who for years was an environmental lawyer who worked in the state (before becoming an antivax crusader and conspiracy theory promoter ).

Kennedy acknowledges that since his 2014 marriage to Hines, he has lived with her in a series of homes in California, including houses in Malibu and a tony canyon in Brentwood. His affidavit includes a hard-to-believe claim: “My agreement with my wife, Cheryl Hines, to temporarily join her in the state of California, was that we would both return to the state of New York upon her retirement. We will return to my current residence at 84 Croton Lake Road, Katonah, New York.” The pair really will leave their luxurious $7 million Los Angeles home to reside in what Kennedy calls a “private room” in his friend’s house?

The petitioners maintain that Kennedy is pulling a fast one and that he essentially moved to California when he went LA with Hines. “Kennedy acknowledged his true residence in California when he purchased property,” their initial complaint says. It points to a letter he wrote when he resigned as an officer of Riverkeeper, an environmental group based in New York, and wrote the group, “As you know, I now live on the west coast and the weekly commute has been hard on my family to say nothing of my carbon footprint.”

The petitioners list instances when Kennedy in media interviews referred to California as his “home.” And they note that when he filed his candidacy statement with the Federal Elections Commission, he used his California address. Moreover, they point out that the Katonah home is in foreclosure, and they cite a New York Post article that reported that neighbors were unaware of Kennedy’s residence in this house and had never seen him.

There’s another wrinkle: Under the Constitution, if a presidential and vice presidential candidate are from the same state, they cannot claim that state’s Electoral College votes. It seems unlikely that Kennedy can win in California, Harris’ home state. But given that his running mate, Silicon Valley millionaire (or billionaire) Nicole Shanahan, is a Californian, RFK Jr. could encounter a problem should he surge to an improbable victory in the Golden State.

The legal filings of each side are filled with technical arguments regarding residency, and it’s tough to predict the outcome. Whichever side loses the case will likely appeal. The court proceedings are expected to end this week, and there’s already a date scheduled for an appeals court trial. With ballots soon to be printed in New York and other states, there is not much time to resolve the matter. And if Clear Choice PAC obtains the ruling it seeks, it will have to move quickly to mount challenges in other states.

On Monday, the Kennedy campaign released this statement about the case:

Independent Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will testify this week at the Albany County Supreme Court where campaign attorneys expect to prove that 1) Kennedy has had a residence in New York for decades; 2) that any attempt by New York to restrict candidates beyond the U.S. Constitutional standard of residence being the state to which you intend to return would be unconstitutional; and 3) that the nominating petition cannot be struck because Kennedy, relying on advice of counsel, in good faith listed his New York residence on his nominating petitions.

The Kennedy campaign said it is officially on the ballot in 13 states (including Michigan, Minnesota, and North Carolina), has submitted signatures in 19 states, and has collected enough signatures for ballot access in 10 other states.

The Clear Choice PAC was organized when polls suggested that RFK Jr. might draw more votes from Biden than Trump—though the picture was far from clear. More recent surveys have indicated that he now might be more a magnet for Trump-leaners than possible Harris voters. Yet Clear Choice is still rigorously pursuing the New York challenge and preparing to move forward in other states if it wins in Albany.

One strategist familiar with the PAC’s efforts notes that it may not be until late September that Kennedy’s impact on the race can be accurately estimated. But, this person adds, if the Democrats’ strategy is to consolidate the anti-Trump electorate to prevent the former president’s return to the White House, their best bet is a binary choice between Harris and Trump, with Kennedy and other independent or third-party candidates pushed to the side and considered non-factors.

One longtime Kennedy associate says that Kennedy, whose father was a senator representing New York, has never wanted to give up his ties to the state, perhaps because he might run for office there. It would be quite the turn of events if that desire caused his removal from the ballot in New York and, worse for his campaign, in other states.

RFK Jr. Wants to Send People Addicted to Antidepressants to Government “Wellness Farms”

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10 expert-recommended online resume writing services to use in 2024.

In the mix of college assignments and perhaps your 9-to-5, piecing together an attractive resume for employers can be a difficult feat.

Not only is this one-pager the bread and butter of what will lead to a first-round interview (fingers crossed!), but it’s an excellent portrayal of your skillset, employment history and unique skills that help a company’s HR department gauge if you’re the right fit.

Let’s cut to the chase — more specifically, let’s answer the question, “ How can I make my application stand out? ” One of the most influential steps is, without a doubt, rendering your resume to tip-top shape. And fortunately, there are some of the best online resume services like TopResume and Resumble out there to help.

Best Overall: TopResume

Best budget: resume companion, best optimization for applicant tracking systems: resumeble.

• Best Customizable : Brand Resumes
• Best with Career Consulting: Top Stack Resumes
• Best for Quick Hiring : ZipJob
• Best One-on-One Collaboration : Upwork
• Best for Cover Letters : ResumeSpice
• Best Budget : Craft Resumes

Whether you’re a senior in college applying for your first full-time job or you’ve been in the biz for years and are looking to segue into a different role, we rounded up the top online resume writing services you can use to help get your application in tip-top shape. Plus, we’ve enlisted Shannon Conklin, director of career and leadership development at The College of New Jersey to help!

Hop to her picks below or check out our FAQ for more details on things to look for when picking the right resume builder for you.

• Packages with unlimited resume revisions
• Free resume review
• 60-day interview guarantee
• Several customers who wrote reviews on Trustpilot mention having poor communication with their resume writers

TopResume is a beloved favorite — and for a good reason. It has four different packages depending on your career goals, some of which include unlimited revisions, a LinkedIn makeover, a cover letter and two interview prep sessions.

“TopResume continues to be a solid option,” Conklin shared. “It has strong descriptions, where the website and interface are easy to navigate to understand its process, its three packages, as well as testimonials.”

She also loves TopResume’s FAQ section, coupled with the various packages, that make its process clear and timeline. “There is also plenty of mention about AI and ATS technology,” she added. “If you need a resume quickly, one that accounts for technology, and a budget of only about $150, it looks like this service would be one to strongly consider.”

With TopResume, you’ll also get a 60-day interview guarantee. If you don’t get twice as many interviews, the platform will rewrite your resume for free. It’s pretty top tier, to say the least, and is a minimal investment for those hoping to find free resume-writing services.

• Self-directed service
• Template-based
• Must renew a subscription to edit resume in the future

“Resume Companion is a clean website with a clear message — build a resume quickly!” Conklin highlighted. “It offers templates, examples and advice on how to craft a resume, as well as a cover letter, as a self-directed service within about 15-minutes.”

What’s more, the service also makes it clear it offers a variety of templates based on industries and functions. “This can really help if you are trying to transition to a new field or your resume needs to be updated to reflect the latest in your industry,” she added.

With Resume Companion, you’ll be able to build your resume step by step, from selecting a professional template to answering a few simple questions to have your experience and skills added directly to your digital file. Namely, if you’re not much of a writer, you’ll appreciate its pre-written work experience bullet points to craft your resume in minutes and then apply away.

Not to mention, it’s only $8 a month, so if you want a one-and-done service, this one’s your best bet. Keep in mind that you will have to renew your subscription to edit in the future, but it’s a great budget-friendly option to pursue if you don’t want to be completely in the dark.

• 4-day turnover on resume drafts
• Three free revisions with standard resume package
• Only the premium resume package includes a job guarantee

Resumeble is not only has a fun name, but it includes a resume and cover letter in its baseline package. If you’d like to upgrade, you can receive a LinkedIn write-up, a second resume version, thank you and follow-up notes and cold emails to recruiters.

“Have you applied to dozens of jobs, only to never get through?” Conklin questioned. “If this resonates because your resume is not optimized for ATS platforms, Resumeble might be the choice for you. Mention of ‘ATS,’ as well as their outcomes and ROI, are weaved throughout its site.”

Conklin told The Post that she’s seen many clients apply to dozens and dozens of companies, only to be vetted out due to ATS. “When that happens, I often advise networking to complement a revised, ATS-optimized resume.” she tipped off. “This brings me to one other noteworthy element to their various packages, they support your full professional profile; resume to LinkedIn to recruiter communication support.”

For those who want to spend less than $200 for online resume writing services, this all-in-one option is fairly priced, making it one of the best affordable resume writing services. If you’re only looking to refresh your LinkedIn, you’ll just pay a one-time $99 fee. For just your resume, it’s a one-time purchase of $129 for the service.

Best Customizable: BrandResumes

• Has a self pace job search course
• Helpful step by step resume building guide
• Some customers who reviewed the service on Trustpilot report time delays in receiving their resume

BrandResumes made the cut as one of our top choices for online resume services for a few reasons: it’s one of the platforms best for ATS keyword optimization and formatting for interviews, LinkedIn branding and a customizable interface. If you buy the deluxe package, you’ll have your resume distributed across the 60 top job boards (including industry-specific ones), so you’ll spend less time applying.

“Learning the fundamentals of resume writing is a skill that will carry you throughout your career, and BrandResumes offers courses and resources to accomplish just that,” Conklin highlighted. “Once you understand how to format a strong bullet point, or the style you find reflects your story and values, you can start crafting various resumes to appeal to different audiences and fields.”

BrandResumes also offers resources to launch your own resume writing business — a tool that can be valuable for career experts seeking professional resume writing services. “If you’re seeking to dig into how to revamp your resume, or you find yourself (like many in HR or career services) consistently asked to help a friend or family member with their materials, this service will align with your goals,” she added.

Best with Career Consulting: TopStack Resume

• Pay only after you’re satisfied with the resume
• According to TopStack Resume’s site, resume complete takes up to 2 weeks

TopStack Resume is a force to be reckoned with in the career development sphere. Notably, it’s one of the only services that provides career consulting. So, in addition to resume and cover letter formatting, you have the option to partake in one-on-one sessions with a career advisor.

“Five steps is all you need to follow for your resume review by TopStack,” Conklin put it simply. “The simplicity of this service and the range of offerings (from a resume for $139 to career consulting for its Premium Package ) can be valuable for any job seeker or career explorer.”

Moreover, if you find yourself in need of more career support, maybe you’re changing fields or returning to work after time off, this is a strong contender. “Be mindful of your budget and timeline, so you take full advantage of a career consultant; a solid service should focus on the process, as much as a strong career outcome,” she added.

Plus, TopStack Resume is unique in that it has a team of well-qualified writers to ensure your one-pager is the best it can be. At a fair price point, you can always upgrade to add on more benefits in the future.

Best for Quick Hiring: ZipJob

• Fairly priced for the quality and swiftness of deliverables
• Optimizes for ATS so you’ll have better odds of visibility before your resume lands in human hands
• May be more difficult to ask for revisions if need be, due to the service’s robust turnaround time and automation

While no resume writing service can guarantee you landing your dream job, ZipJob has a unique offering in one of its packages that makes it a standout from the rest.

Ideal for candidates who are rapidly seeking their next role in a flash, ZipJob combines expert resume writers with the exact same tech employers to optimize your one-pager. The kicker? Its most popular plan, Fast Track, includes a professionally written resume, ATS optimization and direct writer messaging — but that’s not all.

Impressively, the Fast Track package for $189 also includes a cover letter and a 60-day interview guarantee. That’s how confident ZipJob is that you’ll get hired, and get hired quickly.

For $299, its Premium package includes a LinkedIn profile update to help maximize your chances and expedited delivery for super speed. If you want swiftness but don’t wish to compromise the quality of your application, you won’t have to worry with ZipJob.

Best One-on-One Collaboration: Upwork

• Several projects to choose from with unique writing strengths you may desire
• Typically budget-friendly
• Some options will have your resume written in only one business day
• Price points vary and quality of work varies depending on which project provider you select, so take caution and read reviews before working with a given person

Individual-driven platforms like Upwork allow you to shop around for a resume writing service that matches your specific needs and budget. Similar to platforms like Skillshare where talented, qualified creators host a course offering or a service, Upwork allows you to select from a variety of different projects where you’ll have one-on-one attention. Consider it akin to being matched with an online counselor.

Generally budget-friendly, most of Upwork’s providers only take one business day to deliver. The majority of providers also have thousands of positive, near-five-star reviews, so it’s surely a service to consider.

The one downside to Upwork is that quality of work may differ slightly, though that’s a given with its platform structure. This differs from some other services like TopResume where the company at large has its own writing structure, so it’s just something to take note of. However, for its affordability and speed, it’s a great dip into the pool of resume writing and related services, without spending more on a professional-grade platform.

Best for Cover Letters: ResumeSpice

• The baseline package offers a lot more than competitors, including phone consult, optimized draft and two edits
• Cover and thank-you letters are added to packages at an additional charge

ResumeSpice is ready to add that much-needed spice to your resume. It doesn’t just provide three different package options, but it specifically tells you which one would work best for you. For example, if you have no more than two years in the workforce, you should select its baseline package ($449). This package includes a phone consultation, an eye-catching resume format, keyword optimization, a personalized draft, two rounds of revisions based on your feedback and finalized versions in both Microsoft Word and PDF formats.

“Solid service is evident across ResumeSpice, and its focus on Executive Resume stands out from others,” Conklin pinpointed. “If you find yourself wanting to get to that next level in your career, you really do need to consider an executive coach with an eye towards that goal for your materials.”

You might, for example, realize you have decades of experience and are unsure where to start to consolidate — Conklin offered. “This is one of the most frequent concerns when making this transition, and a third party like ResumeSpice can be an invaluable resource and sounding board,” she added. “Finally, its site is clear in terms of turnaround, which shows they value your time and manage expectations — a positive sign on what you can expect service-wise.”

ResumeSpice offers other à la carte services, too, including cover letter help, LinkedIn profile revamping, interview preparation and career coaching.

Best Budget: Craft Resumes

• Unlimited revisions
• 5 day delivery
• Some reviewers mention time delays

Craft Resumes has an engaging, user-friendly interface that makes resume-building a fun, less stressful process. With ATS keyword optimization and a dedicated writer on your resume, rest assured that it will be in a healthy state to pass along to recruiters and job posters.

“Craft Resumes cleary focus on the ‘craft’ and design of writing resumes, where a distinguishing factor that caught my eye is their unlimited evaluation ‘at any reason’ for four days,” Conklin said, recommending the service. “This is valuable for job or graduate school seekers and career explorers, as you’ll likely have questions once you find an opportunity of interest.”

Similar to other services here, there is a one-on-one aspect that can be quite valuable, especially if you have the time. “There are also a variety of services and prices, not just resume writing,” she noted. “This is helpful for you budget, and evolving needs. Often times once you get a resume underway you start to realize that you’ll want other materials to be updated and aligned with your personal brand.”

For its most popular package, The Basic, you’ll have access to a single writer and unlimited revisions (which is a score compared to some other services on this list), strong and optimized words, unique formatting and a cover letter to increase your chances of landing an interview. However, Craft Resumes has other great packages worth exploring.

Best Resume Writing: Let’s Eat, Grandma Resume Service

• Consultation included with every package
• Executive Concierge Service that includes 10 days of unlimited revisions
• Quality writers and customer service, based off reviews
• No academic CVs or federal resumes

Humorous name aside, resume service Let’s Eat, Grandma has a laser focus on punctuation (as you can tell because nobody intends to write that they’d like to eat their grandmother on a professional document) — as well as resume formatting. What’s great about this platform, specifically, is its vast packages, ranging from drafting your resume to offering cover letters and networking services to help boost your career trajectory.

“Let’s Eat, Grandma hones in immediately on its ‘custom-tailored’ approach,” Conklin said. “While every resume review should be tailored to account for your story (as mentioned above), it’s clear this is a value of this service. Client outcomes are also front and center, where a mix of employers and schools are listed; this is notable if continuing education is a goal of yours.”

With four packages available, and FAQs on the homepage highlighting its range (i.e. academic, federal government and more), Conklin appreciates how it’s clear that this service is distinguishing itself from others, especially given the range of specialty materials they can help you create. 

What’s more, you’ll be assisted by a team of highly skilled writers who create targeted documents to help boost your chances of getting an interview. They’ll also speak to your unique strengths — and, therefore, amplify them on your resume — to tie your entire professional portfolio of experience together. They also have a package tailored for executives, making the platform a solid option for those needing executive resume writing services.

Which resume service is best?

The golden question, right? This depends mostly on your career goals. A range of services are available, and many are now even offered through LinkedIn. 

“When considering a resume service, it is important to consider the extent of guidance you are seeking,” Conklin, who has 15 years of experience in higher education — told The Post.

“Are you overhauling your resume? Are you transitioning industries and need to consider a different format or approach? What are your financial resources to pay for one, or should you explore services offered from your alma mater or current institution if you are a current or graduate of higher education?,” she questioned.

You’ll also want to consider the resume services’ reputation, Conklin suggested: Are there reviews or endorsements of a service, especially if you are paying for one? What is the background, and is the resume service aligned with your industry of interest? 

Is it worth paying for a resume service?

“It depends on the service and one’s circumstances as to whether it is ‘worth’ paying for the service,” Conklin said. “There are very reputable services out there, especially for more experienced career seekers. If you’re transitioning to a new field, or you are seeking to move to a senior or executive level, it could definitely be worth the cost.”

As a preliminary step, Conklin advised to really make sure you are an informed consumer when considering a resume service, and if you should pay or if you have a network or connections you can leverage for advice first. 

How much does it cost to have someone write your resume?

“When an individual pays for a resume service, there may be a flat rate, or it is calculated on an hourly rate and requires at least two sessions,” Conklin explained. “For example, it could cost $150 for a single session.”

However, there are resume services that can significantly exceed that rate and are part of a package that might include a quick return and other support, from LinkedIn to interview coaching, that is over $600, she highlights.

What to include on your resume, according to an expert

“Your story is the focus of your resume, and it is critical to be honest and reflect on how you want to tell that, ultimately,” Conklin noted. “The order also depends on the stage of your career (early, mid, senior, executive) and the industry you are seeking.”

In academia, for example, you’ll see a curriculum vitae (CV) that is pages long to reflect one’s research, publications, and roles held. In financial services, you would have a one-page resume until you have significant work experience. Or, in the creative fields, you may have a one-page resume and then an online portfolio or website that exhibits your work to complement your resume, she explains.

“No matter the field you are pursuing, you always want to make sure you list your experiences in reverse chronological order, you include your education/training, think of the keywords and skills (and make sure those are prominently displayed and included), and also think of what is most relevant,” she listed. “The most relevant should be at the top.”

It is also key to consider Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), automated review systems that scan resumes as part of an organization’s vetting process. “The format could align or cause issues with an ATS system,” Conklin added. “This is why it’s important to do your research, leverage any connections you have to gain insights into a field and their preferred format and get advice on keywords, skills and experiences to include.”

“If you do your homework, you should find clues to answer the questions above and guide your resume writing approach,” Conklin shared.

How we chose resume services

At Post Wanted, here’s what we keep in mind when researching and hand-selecting resume services:

• Customization : The best online resume services offer tailored resumes with personalized resume writing, in contrast to generic templates you can find for free.
• Consultation : Some services offer a one-on-one consultation with your writer so they can scope out your specific attributes, career highlights and other aspects to your curriculum vitae you want to spotlight.
• Comprehensive Packages : In addition to resumes, some services offer cover letters, LinkedIn profile optimization and career coaching. To some, this is worth the investment, though it may come with a higher price tag.
• ATS Optimization : A great benefit to online resume services is the focus on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), as human recruiters typically use this software use these screening systems before it lands in their hands.
• Turnaround Time : For some, there’s no time to be wasted when it comes to hunting for a new job. Looking at flexibility and speed is important; some services offer rush options for individuals who need a complete and optimized resume quickly.

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Summer Reading Contest, Week 10: What Got Your Attention in The Times This Week?

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Artificial Intelligence

College writing centers worry ai could replace them, those who run the centers argue that they could be a hub for teaching ai literacy., by maggie hicks     aug 12, 2024.

Angelina Litvin / Unsplash

This article is part of the collection: Artificial Intelligence Holds Promise for Education — and Creates Problems.

Writing centers on college campuses have been around for more than 100 years , and they’re both a resource for students doing assignments and a symbol of the importance in higher education of learning to express yourself in text.

But as generative AI tools like ChatGPT sweep into mainstream business tools, promising to draft properly-formatted text from simple prompts and the click of a button, new questions are rising about what role writing centers should play — or whether they will be needed in the future.

Many writing centers are already jumping in to experiment with new AI tools, making the case both for the continued importance of writing instruction and for their place on campus as a hub for teaching AI literacy.

“I see this as a real opportunity for writing centers to show leadership if they're given an opportunity,” says Sherry Wynn Perdue, president of the International Writing Centers Association. “It's an important moment, and our role as leaders is to help provide resources for our colleagues so that we can be leaders in the conversation about generative AI.”

Some writing instructors worry, though, that the new tools may tempt colleges to rely too heavily on the technology or even eliminate writing centers entirely. Writing centers are often run by non-tenured staff, which can make them especially vulnerable, says Genie N. Giaimo, director of Middlebury University's writing center and an assistant professor of writing and rhetoric there. And in the past, administrators at some colleges have replaced their services with all-encompassing tutoring centers or third party organizations, Wynn Perdue adds.

And even some professors with doctoral degrees in English are wondering whether colleges need to do as much these days to teach the skill of writing in light of new AI tools. “Why do we need a required writing course if AI can do everything outside stakeholders want such a course to teach?,” asked Melissa Nicolas, a professor of English at Washington State University, in an op-ed last year.

So where does AI leave the writing center?

Finding a Balance

Writing centers need to find a balance between introducing AI into the writing process and keeping the human support that every writer needs, argues Anna Mills, an English instructor at the College of Marin.

AI can serve as a supplement to a human tutor, Mills says. She encourages her students to use MyEssayFeedback, an AI tool that critiques the organization of an essay, the quality of evidence a student has included to support their thesis or the tone of the writing. Such tools can also evaluate research questions or review a student's writing based on the rubric for the assignment, she says.

By modeling these uses of AI, Mills says, writing centers can increase students’ understanding of the technology and ease their worries about using it inappropriately. Many students arrive at college concerned that they’ll be accused of cheating if they use AI for anything, she says. For instance, many have seen the video on TikTok of a student who says she was given an F on a paper for using a grammar checker that set off an AI detection system her professors used. Providing guidance can help students feel more comfortable with the technology, she says. And understanding that AI’s suggestions can be wrong also boosts student confidence in their own abilities.

“The student could say, once they get the feedback, ‘No, that's not really what I want to do. Could you help me think about how to expand this other part of it?’” Mills says. “That's something that I think we need to be cultivating — that kind of confidence and willingness to engage and push back — because that is how you get the most out of AI.”

Still, Mills requires her students to go to the writing center at least four times during the semester. Human interaction is essential to the writing process, she argues. Often the tutors energize students and show a genuine interest in what they are writing, something they can’t get from any chatbot, Mills says.

“Writing doesn’t have that much meaning without a human audience,” Mills says. “Meeting with someone as you are developing your ideas is often the place where you feel that there’s the most meaning in what you’re doing.”

Writing centers can play a pivotal role in retention for a college, says Giaimo. The resources can be especially important for students who historically haven’t gotten as much support from colleges, such as first-generation students and those from marginalized communities, she adds. And working with a tutor could be the first one-on-one teaching interaction a student has at college, which is vital, especially for students coming out of the pandemic.

Even as the use of AI tools grows in the business world, students still need to learn how to write and organize their ideas, Giaimo says. And without proper guidance, students can end up leaning too heavily on tools like ChatGPT without ever picking up the underlying skills to put their own thoughts down on paper.

“We forget that most people who are in these processes, at least in higher education, they're just kind of starting out or learning,” Giaimo says. “The process part is important, and actually maybe even more important than what the final end product looks like.”

Promoting AI Literacy

Writing center tutors play an essential role in helping students understand how to use AI appropriately, says Sarah Z. Johnson, director of Madison College’s writing center. Many writing centers these days train tutors in AI literacy, which the tutors can then pass down to the students they work with as the opportunity arises.

Johnson and her team train their tutors to teach students about how AI can be useful in the writing process. For instance, if a student is struggling to organize an essay, a tutor might ask the student to paste their draft into a chatbot and ask it to create an outline for them, Johnson says. The student can see where a paragraph or sentence may work better in the paper and save time during the tutoring session, she says.

This year, tutors will also learn a list of AI literacies, such as how large language models work, issues with generative AI, such as their cultural biases, or how to write prompts that can help organize information, Johnson says.

At Middlebury, tutors are also trained to navigate AI policies, which can differ among instructors, Giaimo says. Tutors also learn to speak with students who they find have used AI inappropriately — say, by having a chatbot do too much of an assignment without attribution — and guide them in a more productive direction.

In that way, Johnson says, tutors can help writers think through the “implications” of using AI, so they can make their own decisions about questions like “Does this final product represent me? Does it represent my voice? Does it represent what I want to say?”

The most important thing, says Johsnon, is “realizing that gen AI is a tool, but you have to know how to use it rather than it using you.”

Writing centers often have relationships with departments across campus, which makes them an excellent place to promote AI literacy, Johnson says. Students may be coming with an assignment from an engineering class or a social sciences class, she says, which means writing center staff can build connections with colleagues across the college.

To prevent colleges from replacing writing centers with AI, directors and staff need to be proactive and advocate for the role they play in promoting AI literacy, she says. Johnson and Wynn Perdue helped craft a list of AI literacies that will be released later this year by a joint task force between the Modern Language Association and the Conference on College Composition and Communication. The IWCA also has its own generative AI taskforce, which Johnson and Wynn Perdue both sit on, that plans to create additional resources to help writing centers adjust and train their staff.

“Gen AI is not something that we're scared of, but it is something that absolutely needs to have parameters,” Johnson says. “If we're not helping students figure out what those parameters are through tutors and things like that, I just don't know how it's going to happen.”

Maggie Hicks is a freelance education reporter covering student life, mental health and other topics in higher education.

Artificial Intelligence Holds Promise for Education — and Creates Problems

Should Educators Put Disclosures on Teaching Materials When They Use AI?

By jeffrey r. young.

An Education Chatbot Company Collapsed. Where Did the Student Data Go?

As More AI Tools Emerge in Education, so Does Concern Among Teachers About Being Replaced

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Should chatbots tutor dissecting that viral ai demo with sal khan and his son, more from edsurge.

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Reading Downtown Station Post Office Temporarily Closed Due to Flooding

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READING, PA – The Reading Downtown Station Post Office, 59 N. 5th Street, Reading PA, 19601 is temporarily closed due to flooding caused by Hurricane Debby.

During this closure, retail & PO Box services will be offered at the Reading Main Post Office, 2100 N. 13th Street, Reading, PA 19612. The Post Office window service hours are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. There is also 24-hour lobby access with a self service kiosk.

Customers are reminded to bring proper photo identification to pick up their PO Box mail. Please contact the following for additional questions or concerns:  215-863-5378 or 215-863-6054

We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers.

The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to 167 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America , to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

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