City solicitors welcome TV spotlight on wills (From Hampshire Chronicle)

City solicitors welcome TV spotlight on wills

5:23pm Thursday 10th March 2011 in Chronicle Business

YOU can’t take it with you, so don’t leave your bereft family to fight over it! A new BBC series shows that writing a will is one of the most important financial and personal decisions anyone can make.

The series, You Can’t Take it With You, is being screened on BBC2 on Friday evenings.

Elisabeth Pollard, who is a partner in Winchester law firm, Shentons, said: “We are tremendously pleased this series is highlighting just how important it is to seek proper legal advice to ensure people’s wishes are respected and to avoid causing distress, or even conflict, among grieving relatives.”

The six-part series sees management guru, Sir Gerry Robinson, together with a specialist wills solicitor, helping families through the process of writing wills.

The programme highlights the changing nature of family structures and the need to seek the services of a solicitor who can prepare a will to make sure it reflects existing family circumstances and a person’s wishes.

“Seeking advice from properly-qualified solicitors is essential,” said Elisabeth.

“Solicitors are all trained, regulated and insured should anything go wrong.

“A poorly-drafted will may have no legal meaning and it can cause real anguish for relatives who are left to deal with what should be a straightforward process but which can become costly and complicated.”