A fraudulent will writer who falsely advised client’s that there had been a change in the law and that their wills had become invalid, has been jailed for 14 months.

Walter Ventriglia, who contacted clients under the alias ‘Tony Edwards’ pleaded guilty to fraudulent trading at Reading Crown Court.  He had received money from over 100 clients, charging them between £30 and £60 to modify their wills.

A council spokeswoman said he claimed to be operating two separate companies, Legacy & Law and the UK Will Register, which, according to his publicity, stored documents in a secure facility in London – when in reality they were stored in the airing cupboard in his home.

The criminal sentence comes hot on the back of a mystery shopping exercise undertaken by the Legal Services Board which found that over a fifth of wills were regarded as failures on the grounds of quality.  Click here to read the full article.

Martin Holdsworth, partner and head of Gordons’ contentious wills, trusts and probate team said “this is a great example of why the regulation of will writers is needed.  The public have a right to be protected and the private will-writing industry across the UK should be more tightly regulated as consumers are losing thousands of pounds to crooks, cowboys and conmen.

If you or anyone you know is considering making a will or in the process of having a will reviewed, we strongly recommend that you seek specialist advice from a qualified and regulated solicitor.”

At Gordons, we have a strong and nationally renowned wills and probate department.

If you are in any doubt about the validity of your will, please contact Martin Holdsworth on 0113 227 0392 or at martin.holdsworth@gordonsllp.com