The provision of a free will-writing service looks set to become an increasingly popular employee benefit.
According to Richard Harris, managing director of online wills provider Totally Free Wills: “Companies have a responsibility to educate staff on the importance of writing a will, and to advise them on the implications of dying intestate.”
He added: “By offering employees the facility to write a legally checked will free of charge, businesses are providing both a cost saving incentive and a socially responsible service to their staff.”
More than 27 million people (64% of the population) in England and Wales have not yet written a will, according to the National Consumer Council. While many people assume that their property is automatically passed to relatives, this isn’t always the case. Ultimately, the government decides what to do with assets when someone dies intestate.
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Totally Free Wills is an online service for solicitor-backed wills that is free of charge to the consumer. Consumers input their details, which are used to develop a will that is then passed to a panel solicitor to be legally checked and approved.
The cost of the will is met by solicitors subscribing to be on the panel. Partner organisations that wish to offer the service to their employees are able to register for free.
