Why you should be careful when using a Bank's service in drawing up your will!

Nobody can 'make themselves' executor, only the person whose will it is can appoint executor/s. Presumably, what you mean is that some banks SUGGEST you make them an executor...the simple answer to that is to say 'no thankyou'.

I have had my local solicitor to do my will,also iv,e signed my house over to both my children,and yes there is a fee for the solicitor doing the work,if anything happens to me,but the cost is on the overall estate,but cos iv,e alresdy signed the property to my children and the deeds are in both their names already,the cost will be very little.Worth thinking about if your mortgage is cleared.

I don't think banks should be able to offer this service. Leave it to the solicitors, let them do their job. There was a report in the paper about tesco offering legal advice including wills and I completely disagree with it. Just let the solicitors do it, get it done properly and then you don't have to think about it.

surely you would spot this though? im sorry but wills are easy to draw up why you even bother going to a bank, who lets be honest cant be trusted anyway! i feel sorry for little old lady types who might be bullied into this but other than them and if there is anybody who might benefit from the will it should be them looking out for the said little old lady in the first place or they dont deserve to profit. that might be abit unsympathetic...

Remember that you should never seek any financial advice from a Bank or Building Society, and never ever let a solicitor be an executor to your will they just write lots of letters and charge thousands

I believe a lot of solicitors do the same thing. They don't make any money on the £50 or £100 they charge for making the will, they are all expecting larger rewards for being the executor. However, that is their job so why not if you don't have an alternative. Actually I believe its better if you use a solicitor to be executor to ensure your requirements are carried out correctly.

Totally agree. I need to rewrite my will and will be asking trusted family members to be the executors. If you detail out exactly what you want to happen and who to have what then they can ensure what your want to happen does.

That is cheeky, is there no depths the money grabbing fatcats will stoop to? It's probably better to use a solicitor anyway as they are specialised in these matters.

As I am considering a DIY will anyway I was going to ask my brother to be executor. I certainly don't want to pay either banks or solicitors to execute it on my behalf.

We did our will when the solicitors were offering them at a reduced cost and gave the proceeds to a local charity. They hold the original and won't see any more money out of us but was worth it, to ensure it was done properly.

I believe everyone and their professional service is set up for a reason.
You have no idea what the circumstances of your executor will be at that time or your relationship with that executor.

You need someone who will be middle ground and have no emotional attachment to your will.
- I would use a solicitor and a trusted source.

But, I do think the banks have a cheek., As if their billions aren't enough!- next, they'll be charging us for walking into their branches.

My experience tells me that people who agree to their bank drawing up their will and acting as executor only live to regret it. Banks are simply too corporate, too big and impersonal ever to actually worry about their image in such affairs. And I suggest that it gives the banks far too much control in the matter. It's just another money making avenue where the service is probably run entirely from a single corporate office somewhere remote and where identifying who is actually 'looking after you' will always be hard.

I still maintain that a properly solicitor led will with the executorship being split between a trusted family member and the solicitor is a good choice. Proper and sound legal handling will never be free but at least solicitors can be struck off should they do something wrong. Can that be said of banks?