Will-writing and other unregulated legal services
The CMA has launched a new consumer enforcement investigation to protect consumers following complaints about providers offering will-writing, online divorce, and pre-paid probate services.
Administration timetable
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 24 July 2023 | Case opened |
Case information
30 April 2024: The CMA has launched a consultation on draft consumer protection law compliance guidance for unregulated businesses providing will writing, online divorce, and pre-paid probate services in the UK. The consultation will end at 5pm on 13 June 2024.
More information about the consultation and the draft guidance document can be found on the consultation page.
17 January 2024: The CMA has received a wide range of information from consumers, legal services providers and other interested stakeholders. The CMA is considering the information provided and will provide a further update on its investigation in Spring 2024.
24 July 2023: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a new investigation looking at potential consumer law breaches in will-writing, online divorce provision, and pre-paid probate plans. The CMA is keen to hear about people’s experiences when buying these services and products, particularly from unregulated providers.
Press Notice: CMA investigates will-writing and other legal services
Initial research by the CMA has identified potential areas of concern including misleading advertising, unfair contract terms, pressure selling, lack of transparency on costs, and the suitability of products being sold. The project will consider:
- consumer and industry concerns
- information from legal services providers about their practices
- the extent to which legal service providers are complying with consumer law.
Any individual consumers or interested parties with experiences of will-writing, online divorce or pre-paid probate planning, including consumer advocates and advice bodies, professional bodies, or trade associations, can send their responses to UnregulatedLegalServicesTeam@cma.gov.uk. The closing date for responses is 4 September 2023.
The project is at an early stage and the CMA has not formed a view on these issues. We will provide an update on our work later in 2023.
Contacts
Any media enquiries should be directed to a member of our Press Office: press@cma.gov.uk
Principal Case Officer, Mandy Young, Mandy.Young@cma.gov.uk
Principal Case Officer, Harpreet Atwal, Harpreet.Atwal@cma.gov.uk
Project Director, Gordon Ashworth, Gordon.Ashworth@cma.gov.uk
Senior Responsible Officer, Hayley Fletcher, Hayley.Fletcher@cma.gov.uk
Last updated 30 April 2024 + show all updates
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Consultation launched
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First published.