No, it's a terrible thing.
And, yes, solicitors may well pitch it as a great thing... because they like the
lucrative revenue.Agree, from my personal experience, bloody terrible idea. Depending on the solicitor -- the future behaviour/reliability of which you can't be certain, so don't do it.
Let the executors (non-solicitor) sort out a solicitor of their choice when they need it.
Expanding on why :-
My father's will was a simple one, with a "visiting wills" person, which named me as sole beneficiary/executor, with the original and copy will in his possession.
Some years later, he was "advised" by another local solicitor that the wording in it was some way incomplete/deficient, and persuaded to have it remade. Basically, it looked exactly the same (me as sole beneficiary) but with them added as joint executor. And the original kept in safe storage by them.
This means that I could do nothing without their agreement/signoff -- that's how "joint" works, and had no access to the original will without their providing it. A step backwards ... however that should be a formality.
Except when it came time to need their services :-
1) They didn't answer the phone on the number I had for them. Google search not useful, other than other people looking for them.
2) A search of the Solicitor's Regulation Authority showed that they no longer existed (Original company merged with another, renamed, and then ceased business)
2a) A surprise to me, as they'd not sent any followup letter to say any of that had happened ... not very responsible.
3) The "record keeper" was shown as a person now working at another solicitor elsewhere, contact details given.
4) That solicitor/firm had never heard of the person named, confirmed they'd never worked there, and that they were not even a solicitor.
5) Back to SRA -- they maintain that their information is correct, and can't help further, even alerted to the fact the record keeper's details are wrong.
I then found a wills/probate specialist to deal with this. With the assistance of a couple of local tip-offs into the erstwhile solicitor (it's a small world, especially when you have a ... reputation) who had spent 7 years moving around other solicitors after running the company into the ground ... it got resolved. It took months. It was frustrating.
The solicitor (when found) wanted to take all the work done so far by my solicitors to complete the task. Given the disappearing act, the lack of records keeping, the inability to answer emails, the multiple attempts to delay the process, and a string of online reviews regarding this person from numerous places he's worked in his "wilderness years", and the fact that when found they are back trading under the same company name as they used to use IN THE SAME CITY, and yet the SRA cannot find any trace of them (nor does their website work, nor do they appear in the phonebook) -- I flat refused.
It appears to be just one man in a dungeon somewhere cashing in on milking people that he's holding "wills to ransom" for ... referring to himself as "we" and "partners" (there aren't any).
In the end, they needed to be PAID OFF to release the original will and to renounce as executor -- "in respect of all the work we have done so far". That's a joke. And the SRA are as much use as the FCA ...
The general legal opinion (and also lay opinion from people I've spoken to about this) is that had my father died intestate, things would have been a lot simpler. I know that goes against the advice of "you must get a will! You must do it properly!" but -- frankly -- I have good reason to disagree!