Our telephone Will-writing service
Co-op Legal Services
Farewill
How to write your Will with Co-op Legal Services
-
Visit our dedicated page on the Co-op Legal Services website.
- Choose to call Co-op Legal Services or request a callback using their online form. During the initial call, you can explain your situation, understand how things work and book your telephone appointment with a Wills specialist.
- Discuss your Will with a dedicated Wills specialist. The telephone appointment usually takes 30-40 minutes. They’ll review your instructions and answer any queries you may have, before finalising your Will.
- Review and approve your Will. Your draft Will is sent to you by email to approve. When you're happy with it, you’ll be sent a professionally-bound Will in the post for you to sign.
- Make your Will legally binding. When you receive your Will in the post, you must sign it in front of two witnesses to make it legally binding.
- Store your Will in a safe place and let your executors know where it is.
When writing your Will, Co-op Legal Services can advise on a variety of more complex circumstances such as blended family scenarios, dealing with business ownership, and assets held abroad.
How to write your Will with Farewill
- Visit our dedicated page on the Farewill website.
- Choose to call Farewill or request a callback using their online form. During the initial call, you can explain your situation, understand how things work and book your telephone appointment with a Wills specialist.
- Discuss your Will with a dedicated Wills specialist. The telephone appointment can take up to an hour. They’ll review your instructions and answer any queries you may have, before finalising your Will.
- Review and approve your Will. Your draft Will is sent to you by email to approve. When you're happy with it, you’ll be sent your completed Will in the post for you to sign.
- Make your Will legally binding. When you receive your Will in the post, you must sign it in front of two witnesses to make it legally binding.
- Store your Will in a safe place and let your executors know where it is.
Frequently asked questions
What are the differences between Co-op Legal Services and Farewill?
Available telephone locations
- Co-op Legal Services - The free telephone Will-writing service offered by Co-op Legal Services is available to people living in England and Wales (excluding the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands).
- Farewill - The free telephone Will-writing service offered by Farewill is available to people living in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (excluding the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands).
Complex Wills over the telephone
-
Co-op Legal Services and Farewill - You can write a complex Will over the phone with both Co-op Legal services and Farewill, but only simple Wills are free. Complex Wills may involve potential costs, which will be discussed with you during your telephone call.
Drafting and finalising your Will over the phone
-
Co-op Legal Services
Your Will is drafted and finalised by a dedicated Wills specialist. All the work is overseen by a qualified solicitor, many of whom are Full Members of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). Co-op Legal Services is a trading name for Co-operative Legal Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). This gives you peace of mind that your Will is being written and stored correctly by a brand you know and can trust.
Your completed Will is sent to you in the post.
-
Farewill
Your Will is drafted, checked and finalised by a dedicated Will specialist. All the work is overseen by a qualified solicitor, who is also a Full Member of STEP. Legal professionals are on hand 7 days a week to support Farewill’s Will-checking specialists.
Your completed Will is sent to you in the post.
Why isn’t a telephone Will-writing service available in the Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands?
This is due to differences in laws around Will writing in the Republic of Ireland, and jurisdictional restrictions in the Isle of Man and Channel Islands. If you can’t find a Will-writing service for you, please contact our Gifts in Wills Team and they’ll help find a solution that works for you.
Can I leave a gift to other charities in my Will as well?
Yes - you can leave a gift to more than one charity in your Will.
What do I need to hand when using the free telephone Will-writing service?
- Personal details - full name, date of birth, current address, relationship status and the names of any children you have, along with their date of birth.
- List of your assets - for example, property, bank accounts, stocks and shares, vehicles, foreign assets, and anything else of value such as jewellery. You should also consider what debts and liabilities you have such as a mortgage or outstanding loan. This will help you to calculate the net value of your estate.
- Full names and addresses of your beneficiaries- who you want to leave things to, and what you want to give them.
It's worth noting that gifts and donations to charity in a Will are normally exempt from inheritance tax. To qualify for the inheritance tax exemption, the charity must have a charity reference number, and you will need to state this number in your Will. The following wording may be helpful:
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution of West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1HZ, a charity registered in England and Wales (209603), Scotland (SC037736), the Republic of Ireland (CHY 2678 and 20003326), the Bailiwick of Jersey (14), the Isle of Man (1308 and 006329F), the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Alderney.
- Full names and addresses of your executors - your executors are the people who will administer your Will after you die.
- If you have children under 18 - you’ll need the full names and addresses of whoever you wish to be their legal guardians.
- Full names and addresses of any trustees - if you wish to put certain assets into trust.
Co-op Legal Services will send you a checklist of the information you’ll need to hand.
Farewill have this handy article on what to put in a Will.Is a telephone Will legally legitimate?
Yes, as long as it is printed and signed alongside two witnesses to make it legally binding. It’s important that both witnesses watch you sign your Will at the same time, then they need to add their own details and signatures. This is so that, if your Will is ever contested in the future, your witnesses can testify that they watched you sign your Will. Your witnesses should be people you trust, over the age of 18. They cannot be a beneficiary in your Will or married to one of your beneficiaries. Under current law, electronic signatures for Wills are not accepted.
Why does the RNLI use Will-writing partners?
The RNLI, like several other charities, offers a free Will-writing service with the primary goal of making the process more accessible for people like you. Our aim is to eliminate barriers to Will writing, enabling supporters like you to gain access to specialist and legal advice, and to ensure you can choose a method of Will writing that suits you best (online, over the phone or face-to-face). It also ensures coverage of the UK and Ireland. We hope that you may choose to support our vital lifesaving work after providing for your loved ones.
I want to update my Will. How do I do this?
If you have an existing Will that has been written through your own solicitor, you can make small amends to that Will for free using our face-to-face Will-writing service with the National Free Wills Network or Irish Free Wills Network. If you wish to update your Will online or over the phone, you’ll need to create a new Will and can do this for free* using Co-op Legal Services or Farewill.
Why do I need to start a new Will to make changes with Co-op Legal Services or Farewill?
This is to ensure that your Will adheres with its precedents and the latest legislation.