Mortgage and protection broker, Access Financial Services, has launched a free will writing service, following a two-month pilot.
The aim is to help Access’ advisers to attract more clients, while providing an additional value-added service for their clients.
Access has partnered with nationwide legal firm, Prestige Legals Direct, to provide this service to clients of every age. Prestige specialises in wills, trusts, inheritance protection, Lasting Powers of Attorney and probate.
Access’ advisers will provide a legally-binding, execution-only will. High net worth clients and those who require more sophisticated estate planning, will be passed through to Prestige Legal Services for legal advice from a qualified solicitor.
Karl Wilkinson, CEO of Access FS, said: “When loved ones pass away without a will in place, it can be both time consuming and stressful for the next of kin. In many cases, beneficiaries are also dependent on funds from the estate to pay bills and provide for family members. For the three in five people don’t have a will in place it can result in a lengthy probate process and people unable to get access to much-needed funds, sometimes for many months.
“We are endlessly seeking new ways to help our advisers provide quality financial support for their clients. Our partnership with Prestige Legals Direct is the latest in a number of initiatives that we have introduced to help both our advisers and their clients. Throughout our two-month pilot, we found that 60% of clients who take advantage of the free will service also purchase another service from our advisers.
“It is a highly valuable service to help advisers generate more business in this challenging economy while also ensuring that we help comply with the FCA’s new consumer duty rules to offer value and a good outcome to the customer.
“I welcome any advisers looking to offer their customer a free will service to get in touch.”