One of the professions that infuriates so many people when it comes to paying out for their services is that of solicitors and lawyers. Along with estate agents, they are often seen as swindling us out of large amounts of money for very little work. However, it seems they may have had a bad, and uncalled for, press, for one thing they don't shout about is their charity work.



Yes, lawyers work for charity too. Will Aid campaigns are run on a regular basis where lawyers can choose to take part in a charity will writing time period. The idea is that anyone wishing to write or amend a will would use one of the participating lawyers firms to do so and instead of paying the usual fees, a donation will be made to a charity. This means the lawyers have provided their services free of charge, you have peace of mind that your will writing has been dealt with professionally and those who are really in need have the funds necessary to help them.

Donations are still being received from the 40,000 interested parties from the last time period for this service and 5.2 pounds million has been pledged - no mean feat at all! Another session of free will writing will take place this Autumn so anyone wishing to take advantage of this whilst doing their bit for charity should keep an eye on the media for participating firms. So, exactly what can you help to achieve by taking part in this will writing scheme?

Survivors of the civil war in Mozambique have been bowled over by the help from the funds raised and have been given the resources to help themselves back on the road to self sufficiency. Orphans in the Sudan have been given vital, life saving health care thanks to the donations from the free will writing service and this has provided them with the will to continue striving for a better life.

There are youths in Russia who also benefit from an advanced education to the one they would have received and there are numerous charities that will also benefit from the donations received. Everybody in need from the sick and disabled to the elderly to the young through to the vulnerable are all being helped through the charitable donations received from the free will writing service so why would we want to simply line the pockets of lawyers when we could be helping in such a vast way those worse off than ourselves?

This bi-annual event has also been backed by many celebrities who have seen the advantages to using their hard earned money to help the dis-advantaged rather than solicitors but this also brings a new image to the lawyers themselves and gives them a chance to redeem themselves of their unsavoury reputation.

Will writing is quite big business for solicitors and an essential part of personal finances that nobody should overlook. Dying intestate causes no end of problems for your loved ones and issues can wrangle on for years without resolve. You also leave your family and beneficiaries open to extortionate charges from the Government when it comes to inheritance tax. This can easily be dealt with by taking advantage of certain tax laws under the UK system and is just one aspect of the advice your solicitor can offer, whether under the Will Aid scheme or otherwise.