Preparing a first meeting about making a will

A first meeting about a will works best when the client arrives with an overview of their family situation and their assets, has thought about what they want, and knows the meeting is confidential and without obligation. Ask them before the appointment to note their close family, marriages or partnerships, children from any relationship, main assets and any previous will. Give the meeting enough time for questions, explain what the law allows and what it limits where you work, and end with clear next steps: a draft, a second meeting, and the signing. Clients who feel prepared talk more openly, and the will reflects their real wishes.

Making a will means talking about death, money and family, sometimes in the middle of tension or grief. Clients may postpone the appointment for years. When they finally book, the first meeting decides whether they feel understood and confident enough to go through with it. Good preparation makes that conversation shorter, calmer and more useful.

Reassure clients that a rough list is enough: the meeting is where you work out the details together.

Let the client explain what they want and why. Their reasons — protecting a spouse, treating children fairly, helping a vulnerable relative — shape the right solution more than the list of assets does.

Explain in plain words what the law where you work allows and what it limits, such as shares reserved for certain heirs, the effect of the marriage regime, or tax consequences in general terms. Show the options, including alternatives to a will where they fit better, and let the client decide.

Couples may come together, and that works for the general discussion. Offer each person a moment alone if their wishes might differ, and make sure the will reflects the free choice of the person making it. When a relative accompanies an elderly client, speak to the client directly and check their wishes privately.

Blended families, a family business, property in another country or a relative who needs long-term protection can't always be settled in one hour. Say so early in the meeting, cover the main choices, and plan a second meeting once you've looked into the details. Where other advisers are involved — an accountant, a financial planner — suggest bringing them into the conversation, with the client's agreement.

Remind the client that the meeting is confidential and that they are free to change a will later. End with the next steps: you prepare a draft, they read it at home, a second appointment to adjust it, then the signing in the required form. Give an idea of the timeline so they know when it will be done.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create a first-meeting service with a neutral name, open slots at the length a meeting takes, one place per slot, and repeat them each week on chosen weekdays until a date. Clients book online without an account and receive a confirmation email. Put the preparation list in the service description, and tell clients the optional note on the form can stay empty: the details are for the meeting. The note can't be edited once the booking exists. For the draft review and the signing, book the following appointments yourself from your calendar.

Durations are examples: set your own. Clients can't move bookings online: they contact you, you reschedule or cancel from your bookings list and tell them yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. Book handles appointments only; it doesn't store documents or take payments. It costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.