• March 29, 2024
 Why choose the Society of Will Writers?

Why choose the Society of Will Writers?

The Society of Will Writers (SWW) is a professional trade association for Will Writers and Estate Planning professionals which was created in April 1994. It started with 5 founding members and has grown to become the largest organisation of its type today.

The two primary purposes of the SWW are to promote to the public at large the real need and sense in having a valid Will; and to act as a self-regulatory body by vetting practitioners through stringent membership requirements, proficiency standards and on-going training.

That all sounds great, but what does it mean?

The profession is largely unregulated and anyone can write a Will but to do so could cause all sorts of problems which may not come to the surface until after the testator dies. As an organisation we ensure that those practicing under the banner of the SWW are ‘safe to do business with’.

How are SWW members ‘Safe to do business with’ and who can use the logo?

The SWW logo is a membership benefit for all members of the SWW. We supported this by adding the ‘Safe to do business with’ logo in 2015. Members are free to use this alongside the SWW logo. All members of the SWW must adhere to three mandatory requirements:

  1. Providing us proof of Professional Indemnity Insurance (meeting the SWW’s minimum requirements of £2m level of indemnity).
  2. Adherence to the SWW Code of Practice (our rule book by which all members are judged and audited)
  3. Completion of 24 hours CPD (continuous professional development) on an annual basis and be able to provide proof of 16 structured hours for the annual audit. Unstructured hours constitutes self-development or learning.

These safeguards are in place so that the SWW can confidently state that members are safe to do business with and as such can use these logos to help market their business.

Aside from the regulatory side, why should you join?

Joining the SWW isn’t just about adhering to regulatory framework and looking attractive to clients. Members of the SWW benefit from a comprehensive range of benefits including access to leading software, insurance and software providers as well as having a voice.

By far one of the best membership benefits is that full members (with the designatory letters MSWW, ASWW, and FSWW) have full access to insured technical advice. This advice is full, free and unlimited*. The types of advice we regularly provide extends to suggested wording for a clause, confirmation that a member’s understanding of a point of law is correct, support on advice being provided to clients and technical drafting assistance.

Additional benefits include:

For a discussion about joining the SWW or for more information please contact us on 01522 68 78 88 or visit www.willwriters.com

*The technical support does not extend to advice regarding lifetime settlements. This advice should come from your provider. The SWW does not provide advice to affiliated members. Only full members are entitled to technical support.

This article was submitted to be published by The Society of Will Writers as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills & Probate. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills & Probate.

The Society of Will Writers

https://www.willwriters.com/

The Society of Will Writers (SWW) is a non-profit making self-regulatory organisation that seeks to protect the public and serve the interests of those who are active professionals in the Will Writing and Estate Planning field, as well as the upkeep of advancement, education, and ethical standards within the profession. Founded in 1994, the SWW has grown to a membership of over 1700 estate planning professionals across the UK, Europe and further afield in places such as Asia and Africa, each championing our standards and enabling the public access to high-quality Will Writing and Estate Planning services.

The main goals of the SWW are:

  • To promote to the public at large the real need and sense in having a valid will.
  • To act as a self-regulatory body by vetting practitioners through stringent membership requirements, proficiency standards and ongoing training.
The SWW is proud to be one of the frontrunning organisations where steering the profession is concerned, regularly meeting with other regulators and industry stakeholders to ensure that our members voices are heard, and needs are matched. Being a member of the SWW also grants access to exclusive benefits such as unlimited technical support when you’re in need of help, bespoke PII cover available only to SWW members, a web listing through the Find a Member section on our website, and discounts on both our and selected partner’s products and services. SWW Members also have access to regional groups, ongoing training, and an annual conference, all designed to enhance their knowledge and create excellent networking opportunities.

The designatory letters of the SWW’s membership grades:

  • SWW (Affiliate)
  • MSWW (Full)
  • ASWW (Associate)
  • FSWW (Fellow)
  • SWW (Companion)
  • SWW (Honorary)
Each membership grade denotes its holders experience and is an assurance to the public that the Will Writer or Estate Planner that they are engaging with is trained, insured and SWW code compliant. We always encourage members of the public to ask their Will Writer if they are a Member of the SWW, and any Member would be happy to present their membership ID card as proof. The public can also rely on checking any Member’s credentials by contacting SWW head office.

Meet Sam Smith – Head of Membership

Sam manages the membership team here at the SWW. He is responsible largely for Member recruitment and handling enquiries from Members. As well as liaising with Society partners and third parties, he also looks after our 20 regional chairs. Sam is always on hand at SWW events to meet and greet. In Sam’s downtime, he enjoys going to the gym, restoring his camper van, and playing golf. Sam is the point of contact between the SWW and Todays Wills & Probate. If you have any enquiries, you can contact Sam by emailing him at sam.s@willwriters.com or calling the office on 01522 687 888 and he would be more than happy to assist.