11 Jul I might lose my home
A bereaved mother-of-three faces losing her home because of an online will bought for just £19.99. Wendy Roberts, 63, from Bolton, was still grieving the loss of her long-term partner, Nigel Smith, when she received a demand for almost £10,000 from a will writing company. Mr Smith, who ran his own ironing service, died of a brain tumour in 2024, leaving his estate to Ms Roberts – including the property where they had lived together for more than 20 years.
In 2017, he bought a cheap online will through a service called Nine Minute Will.
The upfront fee was just £19.99. However, Nine Minute Will included a clause appointing its parent company,
MedEx Direct, the executor of the estate.
This made the company responsible for winding up the estate after Mr Smith’s death, rather than a friend or relative.
On top of this, the terms and conditions carried extra charges. A clause stated that MedEx Direct would charge 4pc of the estate for its services as executor, in addition to any legal and administration costs.
Adding a charge of this size is unusual but not illegal, as will writing is unregulated in England and Wales.
As a result, Ms Roberts is now facing a £10,000 bill, plus thousands of pounds in legal fees.
There is not enough money left in the estate to pay the charges. So MedEx Direct has said that Ms Roberts must cover the fee out of her own pocket, otherwise it will sell the house or put a charge on the property. Story by