Farmers are strongly advised to make a will ‘for the sake of those coming after

GALWAY remains one of the cheapest places in the country for farmers to make a will, according to the findings of a national IFA survey.

The average cost of making a will in Galway is €50 – €100 cheaper than the cost of completing the same piece of legal housekeeping in Donegal, Kildare and Kilkenny.

Roscommon solicitors too are giving good value in wills – also €50 a pop – but the legal eagles in Mayo, Leitrim and Sligo are a bit fonder of the cash with an average €100 charge. Longford, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Wicklow solicitors are also found to be matching the average €50 charge, the IFA survey has revealed.

This week, the IFA have advised farmers to ‘shop around’ when deciding to make a will and not to pay ‘excessive charges’ for the service.

James McCarthy, IFA Inputs Project Team Chairman, James McCarthy, said that farmers needed to ensure that they got competitive rates when making a will.

“Our survey shows a 300% price difference in different counties around the country and we feel that this is excessive. While we acknowledge that it does take time to create a will, the price difference is very significant.

“The price range seems unjustifiable, with some firms even saying they may do wills at no cost, if the clients are regular ones or if they were in financial difficulty,” said James McCarthy.

The overall results of the national survey, he said, showed that the average legal cost of making a will was approximately €95.  This meant that Kildare, Kilkenny and Donegal ‘will makers’ were paying more than 58% over the average.

James McCarthy said that while each individual farmer had their own affairs and circumstances to look at, it appeared to be worth their while ‘to shop around’ when choosing which solicitor to use.

IFA National Farm Family and Social Affairs Chairperson, Maura Canning, told the Farming Tribune that all farmers should ‘make it their business to draw up a will’.

“This is something that should be done as a matter of good farm housekeeping. We come across many instances where wills haven’t been made, resulting in a lot of hardship and confusion for those left behind.

“There can be problem in trying to draw down money for accounts for day to day farm and household expenses while farm payments can also be held up. Take that few hours out to make your will – down the road it makes life so much easier for everyone,” said Maura Canning.

She also advised farmers that on the back of their IFA membership cards there was a phone number they could ring to get initial legal advice on such matters. The number is: 1890-252-596..