Will-writing increasingly 'important' as people have more property

Will-writing is now more important than ever before, as people own more property and have a larger amount of assets to pass on to friends and loved ones, it has been suggested.

Legal expert Gareth Jones warns against self will-writing, saying it can create problems for individuals and their families, reports The Flintshire Chronicle.

Britons might benefit from ensuring the professional helping them draw up a will is well-known and respected, as Mr Jones comments: "Increasingly, private will-writing firms have moved into the market with promises of wills on the cheap, but they are not regulated and have no insurance."

He argues the law should be changed to better protect people who are using this important legal service.

The industry has been the subject of much discussion recently, following a Panorama investigation into unscrupulous will-writing services.

But many specialists are urging caution, saying a small minority of 'cowboy' operators should not bring the whole sector into disrepute.