Gumersalls News

Gumersalls News

Will Writing Enquiries ‘Drop Off’

by | Jun 10, 2020 | News

After a spike in the number of enquiries from people looking for help with writing a will earlier in the year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the rate at which solicitors are being contacted for assistance with this service has fallen.

Today’s Wills & Probate reported that there has been a “significant decline” in enquiries and searches for will writing in the final two weeks of May.

The news provider cited figures from Internet Marketing Team, which found that searches for online will enquiries fell by 40 per cent in the final three weeks of May, following the initial spike in interest recorded in April.

According to the publication, one of the challenges for many solicitors – and people who are having wills written at present – is that the Will Act hasn’t been relaxed at all. This means that it has been difficult to get the required witnesses for signatures.

Many will writers have been carrying out telephone and video appointments with their clients to get the process started.

While will enquiries climbed significantly in the early stages of the pandemic, it seems that applications for probate have fallen dramatically. Law Gazette reported that applications for probate have fallen by more than half since lockdown began at the end of March.

The publication explained that one of the main reasons is that some solicitors have been unable to access their offices and therefore not able to collect people’s wills.

However, there is expected to therefore be a significant jump in probate applications once lockdown restrictions are further eased and both solicitors and the families of those who have passed away are able to access the required paperwork.

If you need assistance from probate solicitors in Epsom, get in touch with us to find out how we’re able to help under the current circumstances.