IPW Member Review Service
Posted: Monday, 13 July 2026 @ 10:16
IPW Member’s Review Service
At the Institute of Professional Willwriters we understand that
well-drafted documents are vital to your client’s peace of mind and your
professional reputation. Even minor errors or unclear wording can cause
costly disputes, probate delays, or unintended consequences.
Our Review Service provides a trusted second pair of expert eyes, to help
you identify risks before they become problems and ensuring your documents
are clear, compliant, and aligned with your client’s wishes.
Please note: general technical support remains included
in full membership; the Review Service is an additional paid service.
Will Reviews
Common Issues
Many drafting problems can be avoided with a careful review, including:
-
Unclear, unenforceable, or invalid conditions which courts may ignore
or which can delay probate.
-
Missing substitutes for Executors or Trustees, risking estate
administration delays if primary appointees are unable to act.
-
Gifts of assets that don’t exist or are jointly owned, potentially
causing confusion.
-
Incomplete allocation of the estate residue leading to intestacy
problems.
-
Instructions that exceed the legal powers of Executors or Trustees.
- Trusts lacking fallback or default clauses.
-
Conditional gifts that are uncertain (e.g. “if my son marries a
follower of a specified religion”).
LPA Reviews
Common issues
Typical errors found in LPAs include:
-
Confusion around the terms ‘Jointly’ Vs ‘Jointly & Severally’
- Dates completed out of sequence
- Signatures missed
- Misspelled names or incorrect dates of birth.
- Conflicting or unclear preferences or instructions.
-
Invalid replacement attorney appointments or conditional
appointments.
- Missing or incomplete sections.
Review Service
Our review is a detailed professional check that:
- Identifies legal risks, ambiguities or drafting errors.
-
Confirms the documents accurately reflects your client’s instructions.
-
Offers clear practical guidance to correct or improve drafting.
Where we identify concerns such as ineffective clauses or instructions
exceeding legal powers we will explain why they are problematic and
suggest how to resolve them.
Why use the Review Service
The Review Service offers the following benefits:
-
Protect your professional reputation by avoiding drafting errors that
can lead to embarrassment, or even worse, legal disputes.
-
Gain confidence in complex or unusual estate plans through expert
oversight.
-
Save time by accessing specialist advice on tricky clauses such as
discretionary trusts or conditional gifts, and suitable LPA clauses.
-
Demonstrates your commitment to best practice and client care.
-
Reduces the risk of delays or expensive legal challenges by unclear or
invalid clauses.
How does the Review Service work?
Once you submit your documents:
- A technical expert will review the documents thoroughly.
-
We’ll provide a written report outlining any issues found, why they are
problematic and recommended solutions or alternative wording.
- You can follow up with any questions or clarifications.
Maximising the benefits of the Review Service
Here’s how to maximise the benefits of the Review Service:
-
Always include client instructions and if it would assist the reviewer,
a clear summary of their wishes.
-
Provide any supporting documents such as HM Land Registry title [PDF],
declarations of trust and letters of wishes (where applicable).
-
Use remote access via Will Writer Pro for secure and efficient file
sharing.
-
Plan to use your free* reviews early or on complex cases where you want
extra reassurance.
*Free Reviews for new members
As a new Full or Sponsored member you receive up to five free Will reviews
within your first six months of membership. This is a valuable resource to
help you build confidence, especially with complex or unfamiliar cases.
Please note this service is restricted to Wills only and does not apply to
LPA’s for which a separate paid-for checking service is available.
What does it cost for a review?
Single Will (can include guardianship, pet animals, chattels, funeral
wishes etc. but no trusts).
£50
Complex Will (Life interest in property and/or residuary estate,
discretionary trust incl. letter of wishes and HMLR title).
£80
Pair of LPA’s (Health and Financial).
£40
NB: Mirror Wills shouldn’t need checking for content as
they will mirror the checked version.
Prices effective from 1st July 2026.
GDPR
Reviewing your documents requires IPW reviewers to access client
information. Your terms of business must explicitly permit this;
otherwise, you must obtain the client’s consent on each occasion.
Suggested wording as per the IPW Model Letter of Engagement:
“I / We / The Company [delete as appropriate for sole traders and
partnerships / Limited Company] may disclose your personal information
to its partner firms and/or sub-contractors whom it relies on to be able
to provide its services to you, but in doing so it will ensure that they
apply the same or greater controls in terms of data protection as [I /
We / do / The Company does]”.
How do I use the Review Service?
Option 1: Email
Send an email to
[email protected]
and attach:
- The document/s to be reviewed
- Client instruction form
-
Supporting docs: HM Land Registry title [PDF], declarations of
trust and letters of wishes (where applicable)
Option 2: Through Will Writer Pro
-
Open the case which should include the client instruction form, HM
Land Registry title [PDF], declarations of trust and letters of
wishes (where applicable)
- Go to Support → Request Help
- Tick ‘Grant Remote Access’
FAQ’s
Q: Can I request a review of only certain clauses?
A: No. Our service provides a full review. Partial or clause-only
checks are not offered so we ensure thoroughness and consistency.
Q: Why do I need to send the client instruction form?
A: Without client instructions we cannot offer a review service as the
clients wishes would be unknown to the reviewer.
Q: What if I don’t share client instructions?
A: Unfortunately, we cannot check your documents
Q: Can I submit documents drafted without using Will Writer Pro?
A: Yes. Our Review Service is available to all members regardless of
the drafting software used.
Q: Where can I get help?
A: If you want to speak with our Technical Team before submitting a
case, or for any questions about the review service, please contact us
at
[email protected] Compliance Statement
The IPW Review Service supports best practice by identifying risks and
suggesting improvements. Responsibility for final drafting decisions and
the legal validity of submitted documents remains with the member.