Gloucester, United Kingdom (PressExposure) January 29, 2010 -- A new study of 1,018 people in the UK by the Fellowship of Professional Willwriters and Probate Practitioners has revealed that more than two thirds of the respondents believed that all willwriters were solicitors. Many solicitors specialise in wills and probate, but it is not the case that all willwriters have a legal background, nor do they require it.

These findings shed further light on the common misconceptions of wills that were recently released by The Fellowship and highlights that consumers need to be aware of this when it comes to having their will drafted.

When asked to respond to the true or false statement that ‘Anyone can currently set themselves up as a willwriter, as qualifications are not needed’, 82% of people thought that was incorrect. In fact, whilst the willwriting industry remains unregulated, anyone can set themselves up in the business of willwriting, regardless of the lack of experience and qualifications they may have or, indeed, their suitability to be entering consumers’ homes offering their services.

45% of people asked said they felt confused by the will writing process and 21% took on the attitude that they would rather write their will themselves, despite the complications that could crop up.

Rita Leat, president of The Fellowship, commented on these findings;

“Here at The Fellowship, we cannot stress enough how important it is for consumers to be aware of exactly who is dealing with their will. There are a lot of excellent willwriters who offer an excellent service; however, we promote the highest standards of practice by ensuring that all our members have nationally accredited qualifications; namely the BTEC qualifications offered by Edexcel. Consumers should also ask whether the willwriter is a member of professional body that insists on CRB checks and offers a compensation fund should things go wrong.

She continued, “It is quite alarming that the majority of the people we asked thought all willwriters were solicitors, especially as there are many willwriters out there who hold no training or any type of qualification. People need to check the background of the person who is dealing with their will to avoid difficulties for their family and loved ones later.”

LINK http://www.fpwpp.co.uk

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For further information on the Fellowship, the qualification or case studies of those who have had problems with wills or to arrange interviews with Rita Leat please contact Shannon Haigh of 10 Yetis PR Agency, shannon@10yetis.co.uk 01452 348211.

Editors Notes

The Fellowship of Professional Willwriters and Probate Practitioners is a non-profit making organisation which has been created due to a genuine passion for the willwriting industry to become a profession, by offering its members the opportunity to turn willwriting from a job into a profession which the consumer can trust.

The BTEC qualifications were launched on 27th October at The Strand London, with guest speakers Lorely Burt, MP who has strong views about regulation; young entrepreneur Tom Mursell- Founder of Not Going To Uni; Isabel Sutcliffe Director of Accreditation, Edexcel; Paul Broad, Chair of the Regulatory Board and Rita Leat, President and CEO, The Fellowship.

Press Release Source: http://PressExposure.com/PR/10_Yetis_Public_Relations_Ltd.html