Seniors overwhelm free will service

Senior citizens have flocked to a newly opened free will writing service in Beijing, mostly because they are concerned about what will happen to their property after they pass away.

The China Will Bank (CWB), in Hepingmen, Xicheng district, only opened Friday, but by Tuesday, appointments to consult the staff have already been booked through to the end of May.

The will bank was jointly founded by NGOs China Aging Development Foundation and Beijing Sunny Senior Health Fund.

An anonymous employee from the bank told the Global Times that the will bank provides free consulting, registration, safekeeping and delivery for wills to all Chinese senior citizens aged over 60.

"Senior citizens can bring their own wills to us, and we will check whether they are legally binding. If there are any faults we will help to correct them, and then we will help senior citizens to copy the contents of their wills onto specially made anti-decomposition paper," said the employee.

She confirmed that an overwhelming number of wills were registered due to property concerns.

The Global Times consulted eight senior citizens who came to the bank, and seven of them confirmed they hope drafting a will would help to settle any family property issues after they pass away.

A 73-year-old Beijing resident surnamed Wang, who has two sons, came to the CWB because he has heard many stories about how family members become enemies after elderly relatives pass away. To avoid this situation he decided to make his own wishes known ahead of time.

"My sons have their own apartments but I still worry about this as the housing prices in Beijing are so expensive and I'm afraid they will argue over it [my apartment]. I hope I can prevent this by drafting a will," he said.

Housing prices in Beijing have soared in recent years, despite recent government efforts to damp down the property market.

The price of an apartment in Wudaokou, Haidian district, which is close to many top universities and primary schools, has risen to 100,000 yuan ($15,873) per square meter. The price is 20 times more than the price 10 years ago, China Economic Net reported.

Most senior citizens said they would leave their apartment to their spouse first. A senior citizen surnamed Li, who is 67, said his apartment would be given to his wife after he passed away.

"My sons and daughters are all financially independent, so in this situation I'll consider my wife's interests first," he said.

Some seniors also hope that the document will help to divide the estate properly. A retired 65-year-old driver, surnamed Jiang, said that his sister has spent a lot of time helping their sick mother, so he hopes his sister can get a bigger share of their mother's property.

It can cost a lot to draft a will legally, as according to regulations on the Beijing government's website, a lawyer can charge a percentage of the value of the client's estate. For an estate worth 100,000 yuan, a lawyer can potentially ask for 10 percent, with the minimum price being 3,000 yuan for the will.

The free service is one of the most attractive features of the CWB, many seniors told the Global Times. Wang said he once asked at the notary office in Xicheng district, and was informed that it would cost him 400 yuan to notarize his will.

"Compared with that I would rather choose the CWB," he said.

The employee at CWB said they will provide witnesses to ensure the will is legally binding, video testimony and a fingerprint record of the will's drafter.

The CWB did not give an accurate number of senior citizens who have registered their wills or made an application so far, but according to media reports, the demand is much larger than the bank's capacity.

The Beijing Evening News said the bank can only handle 40 requests per day, and on Monday appointments in April could still be made. By Tuesday, May 29 was the earliest date.

One senior citizen said he was wrongly informed that he could just turn up to have his will registered, but when he arrived, he was told he could only consult with staff there.

"They should be better prepared and not give out misleading information," the man said.