Those hoping to draft a Will have been advised to approach properly regulated solicitors after a string of consumers reported problems with Will-writing organisations.

According to BBC’s Panorama, consumers offered cheap Wills by non-solicitor organisations have been stung by hidden costs and even  had legacies stolen by them.

Panorama's investigations uncovered numerous cases where initial Will-writing fees, usually between £75 and £100, escalated to thousands of pounds.  Clients and families of the deceased were then often charged fee percentages for handling estates after death, none of which was explained during initial discussions.

Other incidents included firms losing Wills yet charging for them to be safely stored, beneficiaries struggling to receive the money owed to them, and cheques from Will-writing firms continually bouncing.

The Legal Services Board (LSB), which oversees all legal services in England and Wales, has said it would look at "whether a different regulatory approach to Will-writing is needed”, believing a Scottish approach, whereby all firms are regulated, may be the answer.

"Anyone who is charging a fee for writing a Will must be regulated. They must have appropriate qualification, they must have proper indemnity in place. At present none of this protection exists,” Fergus Ewing MSP, Scottish Government Minister for Community and Safety Protection told the BBC.

"I hope that justice will be done for people - throughout Britain, ideally - in protection against crooks, cowboys and conmen."

Until the regulators catch up with Will-writing “cowboys”, those in need of a Will should only approach someone who is  fully regulated and highly qualified, i.e. a solicitor, to ensure that they receive a quality service.