The Online Wills Service

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Who are The Online Will service?

    The Online Will Service (TOWS) has been created by a team of experienced Estate Planning and Financial Services industry personnel.

  2. Won’t I just depress my clients by talking about Wills?

    You most certainly won’t. Just about every client knows they really should have a Will. They just “never get round to it”. You’ll find at the end of the process you have a very happy client who is just relieved you helped them fulfil something they had been meaning to do for years. Trust us; we have never had one client who said they regretted having made a Will.

  3. Why TOWS for Intermediaries?

    Our estate planning professionals worked closely over a number of years with Financial Advisers and their clients. It became apparent that arranging Wills for clients was not only an essential part of their protection planning but it also created an opportunity to highlight gaps in the client’s cover which the Financial Adviser could fill.

  4. Why should my clients have a Will?

    As a financial adviser, you spend a lot of time helping your client accumulate wealth and once they have it, protect it in the event of an unforeseen event. The one thing that everyone can foresee is, unfortunately, their own demise. Without the proper Will in place, all your advice can be for nothing. Your client’s family won’t thank you for that.

  5. Should I not leave arranging a Will to the experts?

    With TOWS, you have the experts at your fingertips. TOWS has an equivalent version for clients to use direct (at a much higher cost than the intermediary version). So it is designed so that even someone with no knowledge or expertise can complete a perfectly competent and legally binding Will.

  6. Will it be suitable for all my clients?

    TOWS is designed to accommodate the requirements of the vast majority of clients. There are some situations that the client really does need expert advice. If TOWS doesn’t meet your client’s needs, you need to direct them to someone who can help them.

  7. I already have a good solicitor connection, will I not risk spoiling my relationship?

    No; you won’t. In fact TOWS can help you enhance it. If you have a good relationship with a solicitor, why not include them as executors on your client’s Wills? There are very good arguments as to why a Will should include professional executors so this is good for everyone. Your solicitor connection gains a client for some time in the future with no work involved on their behalf.

  8. My solicitor connection will do a Will for my clients for nothing. Why should I use TOWS?

    If you really examine how many of your clients have arranged a Will on this basis, we are pretty sure the answer will be – not a lot! Solicitors usually offer this service so that they can be placed on the Will as professional executors. Why not tell your solicitor that you are going to take the hassle of doing the Will away from them but you will put them on your clients’ Wills as professional executors? You might be surprised at how grateful they are.

  9. Why should I take on an extra cost?

    If you arrange a Will for your client, you will gain so many benefits:

    1. You can increase your fee because you are providing a service your competitors aren’t
    2. You will gain more loyalty from your clients – you were the one who was professional enough to make sure they got a Will organised.
    3. It opens doors to more clients
    4. You will increase your business (see FAQ #10)

  10. How will it increase my business?

    We have carefully constructed the TOWS process to gain as much information to help identify opportunities.
    The opportunities are:

    1. Identifying existing policies not in Trust and arranging that for the client with the chance to re-broke
    2. Arranging Guardianship cover where there are children involved
    3. Whole of Life cover for Funeral costs
    4. Additional cover for significant debts
    5. Potential Pensions transfer business
    6. Identifying investments you didn’t know about

  1. Will you provide training?

    Yes; we will. Fortunately, the system is so well designed you want need much technical training. But we will show you how to make the most of the system by plugging gaps in the client’s protection or investment strategy.

  2. Do I need PI cover?

    No. We have Professional Indemnity cover for up to £2.5 million.

  3. How much does it cost to set up?

    Nothing. Unless you want your own branded site which we will set up for you at a low cost.

  4. What’s the monthly fee?

    Nothing. If you don’t use it, you don’t pay for it.

  5. How do I pay for it?

    Because we want the client to see it is a seamless part of your process, you will not make any payment at the time you set up the Will for the client. We will total the number of Wills you have created in a month and collect the amount due by direct debit on the 15th of the following month.

  6. Is the Will legal and binding?

    Yes, it is. The TOWS Wills use recognised and approved wordings which you would find in Wills created by many solicitors.

  7. Where are the Wills stored?

    Any Wills sent for storage are kept in a secure facility in Bristol. It is fireproof, storm proof, water proof etc and is a much better place for your client to store the Will than their home – regardless of what they have in place there.

  8. How long will it take me to complete a Will?

    On average it will take 20 minutes. If it takes longer it’s because you are having a productive conversation about protection or investments.

  9. Will the client really have a valid Will before they leave my office?

    Yes. You simply print it out, make sure it’s signed and witnessed and that’s it.

  10. Are TOWS members of any professional organisations?

    Yes. We are members of the Society of Will Writers and subscribe to their standards.

  11. Can I charge my clients?

    Yes, you can. It is up to you how you add this service to your own proposition. There are a few options:

    • You can adjust your fee to include the Will (our suggested option)
    • You can keep your fee the same and give the client the Will for nothing.
    • You can charge the client an appropriate fee. 

    We feel this is the least preferred option. Clients need to be gently but firmly led sometimes to arranging a Will and charging a separate fee gives an opportunity not to.

    We strongly recommend you simply tell the clients that you are arranging a Will as part of your service and it’s included in your fee.
    It’s what you always do; it’s what everybody does and they shouldn’t be any different.