The Co-operative Group's legal services arm launched a wills service last week that will initially be offered over the telephone to six million of its customers.


The move came as separate research conducted for Cancer Research showed that visiting a solicitor remained the favoured option when people make a will, and the take-up of non-face-to-face wills services has so far been limited.



The study revealed that two-thirds of those who had made a will had visited a solicitor to write it. Do-it-yourself and online will kits 'seem to have had little impact on UK adults' behaviour', it said, with DIY kits chosen by only 8% of those surveyed. The least used methods were telephone and Internet will-writing services.



The Co-operative Legal Services offering will be made available immediately to customers of the Co-operative Bank and its CIS insurance division and in time to the general public .



Financial advisers at Co-operative Financial Services will promote the product when they are talking to potential customers. However, outside firms will handle the legal work.



Rupert White