LawHawk and Succeed Legal have partnered to offer wills to any New Zealander at no cost using document automation platform HotDocs.
“I was aware of the large number of people who didn’t have wills and the problems that causes, and wanted to do something about it,” said Gene Turner, LawHawk’s managing director. “But we didn’t just want to provide a technology solution – people need to be able to get legal advice that is personal, efficient, and affordable.”
Over half of all New Zealanders over 18 years of age do not have a will, LawHawk said. Of those aged 25 to 39, 66% do not have wills.
The firm said that it costs substantially more to administer the estate of people who have no wills when they die.
“It can also cause huge distress at an already difficult time as the family tries to agree the deceased’s intentions for distributing their assets, how they wanted to be buried, and who they want to look after their children,” the firm said in a statement.
Succeed Legal’s owner, Matt May, said that most wills they prepare are actually not complicated.
“We’ve made it easy for anyone to get a will that covers the most important bases. You can explore different options in your own time, and in the privacy and comfort of your own home, and if you want legal advice or a more complex solution, get it from us or another lawyer much more efficiently because you’ve already done a lot of the initial thinking and work,” he said.
Turner said that people who already have wills should still regularly review them, as they may be out of date.
LawHawk has a paid will option for $39.90 for individuals with more complex needs.
The free will is available at
http://www.lawhawk.nz for an initial trial period until 30 April.
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