You may have read in the papers that there is a 76% increase of people choosing to make their Will during the lockdown.  We are definitely seeing a surge of enquiries during this period and I thought you may find it interesting to understand the ways we are dealing with the enquiries.

On taking initial instructions I confess I’m an old fashioned visual person and I prefer to see people face to face.  However, I have discovered it can be just as effective to hold a telephone meeting as long as we both set aside a suitable amount of time.  In addition we have had meetings in peoples gardens, and our largest meeting room to ensure social distancing rules are achieved.  We are also holding face to face meeting using a suitable format such as WhatsApp, face time or video conferencing.

The most challenging part of ensuring that you have a valid Will is the execution.  This is one of those legal jargon words that simply means that the Will is validly signed and witnessed.  You can go to lots of time and trouble designing the perfect Will but if its not executed correctly it’s simply not valid.

We are proud of our creative ways to ensure that our Wills are executed correctly.  We send you full instructions how to do this yourself if you can find 2 witnesses.  If you can’t find witnesses then we can attend your house and watch you sign through the window, the back door, front door, the patio windows etc.  We ensure that social distance rules are adhered to and good hygiene practices in line with government guidelines.

If making your last will and testament is on your mind, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We will respond quickly and come up with a plan that works for your individual circumstances and you can contact me in the following ways:

Philippa Wright – Head of Wills and Probate

Email: philippa.wright@mchaleandco.co.uk

Office: 0161 928 3848 (as a result of the lockdown lots of people are working from home so please feel free to call my mobile number)

Mobile: 07711 375751