IPW Code of Practice

About the Institute of Professional Willwriters

The Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW) is a self-regulatory body for will writers in England and Wales. Will writing is not generally treated as a reserved legal activity in the UK, so the standards a provider follows may vary considerably. The IPW exists to raise standards and protect consumers. If you want to know what applies to a particular provider, check with the relevant regulator or a qualified professional.

IPW members voluntarily agree to follow a Code of Practice that sets minimum standards for service quality, transparency, and consumer protection.

What Code Compliance Means

When a professional on Expat183 displays IPW membership, it means they have agreed to:

• Clear pricing: disclose all fees before you commit to any service
• Written engagement: provide a formal engagement letter before starting work
• Professional indemnity insurance: carry professional indemnity cover at the level the IPW Code requires
• Defined timescales: the IPW model engagement letter used on Expat183 commits to drafts within a set period of receiving your information, and to completed documents within a set period of your approval or of the drafts being sent, whichever comes sooner. All of your documents should be available within the period that letter sets, once you have provided everything needed
• Recourse if a deadline slips: if those timescales are missed you can either agree new ones or cancel the contract without paying any fees
• Your side of the timetable: if you have not supplied the information requested within the period the engagement letter sets, half of the agreed fees become due
• Complaints procedure: acknowledge a complaint and give a full response within the working-day limits the Code sets, and cooperate with the IPW dispute resolution service
• Data protection: handle your personal information responsibly and in compliance with UK GDPR

Consumer Safeguards

As a consumer using an IPW-member will writer, you benefit from:

• Right to cancel: a statutory cooling-off period under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013
• No obligation: you are not obliged to take all services offered; you can choose individual services
• Independent dispute resolution: if a complaint cannot be resolved in-house, you can escalate it to the IPW ADR/Conciliation Service. You do have to raise the complaint with the professional first
• Disciplinary action: IPW can investigate members and impose sanctions including fines, retraining requirements, or expulsion
• Insurance protection: if the professional makes an error that costs you money, their PII cover provides a financial safety net

Understanding the Difference

Solicitors in England and Wales are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), which is a statutory regulator with legal powers. The IPW is a voluntary self-regulatory body. Here are the key differences:

• Mandatory vs voluntary: solicitors must be SRA-regulated to practise; will writers choose to join the IPW
• Complaints body: solicitor complaints go to the Legal Ombudsman (LeO); IPW complaints go to the IPW ADR/Conciliation Service
• Compensation fund: the SRA maintains a compensation fund for client losses; IPW relies on members' professional indemnity insurance
• Scope: solicitors can provide a wide range of legal services; IPW members specialise in will writing and estate planning