Quaysar Rafique became a regular face at the East Durham Business Networks’ Zoom networking sessions during lockdown. He dropped by Novus Business Centre in Peterlee to chat to editor Leanne Fawcett about his company, The Will Guys.
In this issue’s What’s Trending Now we chat to Quaysar Rafique from Newcastle-based The Will Guys, a national group which partners with businesses to offer will writing services as an employee benefit.
EDB: Tell us more about The Will Guys.
QR: The Will Guys offer a fresh approach to will writing and estate planning. How? Well, we have partnered with businesses across the UK to offer a free will writing service as an employee benefit. This entitles all employees to a free (virtual) consultation and legally binding will. All we ask is that the employee covers the postage cost and talks about us to their friends and family. No fuss and in plain English, but with a team of experts to ensure our clients are provided with the best service. It’s about making the process as easy as possible for our clients. That sums up what we are about.
EDB: From a corporate perspective, is this an area employers are becoming more switched on to?
QR: Absolutely. We have exclusive agreements with a number of businesses in the UK and most of these are household names. The most recent one is The Sage Group Plc which is a well-known multinational company. Companies are definitely seeing the benefits of investing in will writing services as an added extra when recruiting and retaining the best people.
EDB: At what point should people think about their will?
QR: Any of the following (not limited to) would be enough to consider making a will:
- Parents – this ensures that you have named guardians, thus avoiding children potentially going into care
- Homeowners – to protect your properties from certain risks
- Cohabiting – if you’re unmarried then your partner may not be entitled to your estate and be left with nothing
Businesses have seen huge success in the number of employees who have taken up our free will writing offering.
EDB: Are there different types of wills available?
QR: Yes. We tailor our advice to your situation to ensure you have the right planning in place. The most common addition to a will is a trust. A trust can help protect your estate from being lost to care costs or marriage after death! Another addition is a Lasting Power of Attorney which gives someone the right to make decisions on your behalf if you do not have capacity.
EDB: Has the pandemic affected the way people view wills?
QR: There’s no getting away from the fact that people are more aware now than ever. This is why so many businesses have signed up to our offering. It is part of their push to offer a more comprehensive range of benefits, one which will be utilised by most of their employees, as is the case currently with the will writing.
EDB: What advice would you give to anyone thinking that they want to get their will sorted?
QR: Don’t have any preconceived ideas about making a will! It’s a simple process which, once finalised, will provide you with peace of mind knowing your affairs are in order.