Today's Will & Probate Podcast: Recent Episodes
Today's Wills and Probate
The Today's Wills & Probate Podcast will speak to some of the industries most influential people and those at the forefront of innovation. Listeners will have the opportunity to pick up key business insights, gain valuable knowledge and ask questions to guests.
Given the changing dynamics of estate planning and private client law there is an opportunity for lawyers and law firms to reassert the principle of the 'family lawyer'; someone to whom a family can turn to time and again for legal needs. Not a purely transactional relationship, but one based on trust and mutual respect.
It is one of the topics discussed in a wide-ranging discussion on the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast as host David Opie is joined by Lakshmi Turner, Chief Executive of the Association of Lifetime Lawyers, formerly Solicitors for the Elderly (SFE).
There is certainly an opportunity for a more holistic approach to create significant benefits for both clients and firms, helping individuals plan not only for death through wills and estate planning, but also for life, health, finances and future care needs. With the Great Wealth Transfer in full swing, and an increasingly aging population it's a busy time to be a private client lawyer.
Turner discusses the origins of the membership body, first conceived by Gordon Ashton, then Deputy Master of the Court of Protection, and a group of specialist practitioners who sought to create an organisation dedicated to training, best practice and supporting lawyers advising older people.
One of the organisation’s most enduring strengths is it collaborative community says Turner. From its earliest days, members have shared knowledge and expertise through forums and discussion groups, creating a culture where solicitors support one another with complex client matters. She argues that this collective expertise ultimately benefits clients, who indirectly gain access to the insight and experience of thousands of specialist lawyers.
The organisation has focused not just on legal skill, but also soft skills for lawyers advising older and vulnerable clients who must also understand safeguarding, capacity assessment, communication, advocacy, and the identification of abuse. These are skills rarely taught during formal legal education but are increasingly critical in practice. The organisation’s Lifetime Care in Practice Award was developed to address this gap, providing externally accredited training designed to improve the quality of client care.
The Association of Lifetime Lawyers celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026 with the newly launched Twilight Awards the highlight of a year of celebration.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
After a baptism of fire when just 16 days into her new role as CEO of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX) Jennifer Coupland was thrust into one of the biggest crises legal services has faced since the Legal Services Act with the Mazur ruling and subsequent appeal.
In a wide ranging discussion on the Today's Wills and Probate Podcast, Coupland discusses how she handled the immediate aftermath of the decision, the appeal, and how she plans to shape the organisation going forward after plans to bring CILEX under SRA regulation were shelved.
She leads CILEX after a successful period running the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, transforming the perception of apprenticeships into a respected and sought-after career route. She sees strong parallels with CILEX’s model of “earning while learning,” which she believes is vital for improving diversity and accessibility in the legal profession.
Although CILEX was ultimately successful in its Mazur appeal, the ordeal was a "really, really tough 10 months for some of our members" says Coupland who adds the case exposed outdated aspects of the Legal Services Act 2007 and advocates for a sector-wide review to modernise legislation.
Through the course of the podcast she also highlights the need to improve consumer understanding of legal services, particularly awareness of specialist providers and the importance of quality, regulation, and affordability. Internally, Coupland has navigated challenges around potential regulatory alignment with bodies like the SRA, ultimately pausing plans but maintaining a commitment to reducing duplication and complexity.
Looking ahead, CILEX’s five-year strategy focuses on growth, education, influencing legal reform, and raising the organisation’s profile, with member engagement seen as crucial to its future direction.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
When we think about scattering a loved ones' ashes we might picture a favourite spot or peaceful place that holds an important part in our lives.
Not many of us would think about releasing them from a drone; but that's exactly what Matt Young thought about with Aerial Ashes; a service which scatter ashes using a unique slow‑release mechanism that created a gentle, symbolic plume in the sky
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast welcomes Matt to discuss the origins of the business, the symbolism of the process, and the practicalities of wind speed, moisture, altitude and aerodynamics which all play a factor in the controlled, elegant release of ashes which creates a 100m wide plume and a sense of awe and wonder.
The drone is just half the story says Young. What resonates most is the emotional impact. Families families who had kept ashes for years, unsure what to do; others who feared the mess and distress of scattering by hand. One widow, unable to leave the UK because she “couldn’t leave her husband behind”, finally found closure when his ashes were released over their favourite spot in Brighton.
With a documented rise in secular celebrations of life over traditional church funerals what emerges from the conversation is not a novelty service, but a thoughtful, highly specialised way of helping families honour their loved ones - with dignity, symbolism and a sense of place.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
The latest Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast turns its attention to one of the profession’s most persistent, and least openly discussed, challenges: the impact of maternity leave on women’s careers in law.
While the legal sector is not alone in perpetuating the motherhood penalty, the measurable career disadvantage experienced by women after having children, the podcast explores the unique pressure the legal sector presents around billable hours, PQE structures and the absence of traditional line management which compound the issue.
Returning mothers must “claw back” work, visibility and confidence say Sara Lyons and Hannah Bradshaw, former employment lawyers and co‑founders of Blue Sky; both of whom have personally experienced the issue and who now coach hundreds of female lawyers going through similar experiences.
Lyons and Bradshaw are clear; this is not a theoretical concept, nor a “woke invention”, but an economic and structural reality that continues to shape women’s progression in the legal sector. 78% of women on their programme report experiencing the motherhood penalty, while 77.8% worry about the impact of maternity leave on their long‑term career prospects. These figures, they argue, should be a wake‑up call for firms that still consider themselves “equal opportunities employers” while operating within systems that are anything but gender‑neutral.
There is a cultural discomfort that surrounds maternity‑related discussions in law firms they say. Silence is damaging; women want clarity, support and honest dialogue about career progression, not well‑meaning but vague reassurances.
“You can have it all... just not all at the same time" is the mantra firms and employees need to adopt.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
The latest Today’s Wills & Probate Podcast looks at what can be understood from analysis of over 250,000 Wills and what clients really want.
The data is drawn from LEAP Estates' comprehensive 2026 Private Client Industry Report which also looks at close to 200,000 LPAs to inform a profession responding to shifting demographics and rising complexity.
Joining host David Opie is Andy Hitchon, Head of Private Client at LEAP Legal Software and a former private client lawyer himself for a "been there, done that" conversation.
One of the key takeaways from the report is people are planning earlier, living longer and forming more blended families, creating a surge in trusts, protective structures and repeat planning cycles. Hitchon points to the growing normalisation of later‑life relationships, recalling an 83‑year‑old client preparing to remarry as evidence of how social change is reshaping estate planning needs.
Regulation and tax policy are adding further pressure. With thresholds frozen and property values rising, more estates are drifting into the IHT net, increasing both the need for proactive planning and the likelihood of future disputes. Hitchon warns that the sector must be ready for this shift, particularly as HMRC tightens expectations around tax advice.
What emerges from the conversation is a sector in transition: more technical, more holistic and more exposed to risk than ever before. Hitchon’s message is clear; the profession must adapt, and quickly.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
Founded in 2020 Provira is one of a handful of FCA-regulated organisations offering inheritance and estate lending services to cover inheritance tax and estate costs.
In this latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast episode host David Opie speaks with John Sanderson, Director of Partnerships at Provira, about the growing role of inheritance and estate lending in the probate process, exploring the reasons for increasing demand and how they work in practice both for consumers and probate professionals.
Although still in its infancy as a sector, inheritance and estate lending has rapidly become a recognised solution to the cashflow problems that frequently arise during estate administration, with lenders like Provira offering beneficiaries access to up to 50% of their expected inheritance either before or after probate is granted. These funds can be released within days and can be used for almost any purpose, from clearing debts to meeting living or care costs. Another option is to borrow against the estate to meet estate liabilities, most commonly inheritance tax, but also other administration costs such as legal fees, surveyors’ fees or property renovation to enhance sale value.
Rising house prices combined with the long‑term freeze of the inheritance tax nil‑rate band have led to more estates incurring tax liabilities. At the same time, many estates are asset‑rich but cash‑poor, with value tied up in property and investments that cannot easily be accessed before probate. This creates a funding gap at a critical moment, particularly given the timing of IHT payments, which is driving interest and demand for lending services explains Sanderson.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
The latest episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate podcast welcomes Senior Ombudsman at the Legal Ombudsman (LeO) Clair Daniel to explore the current landscape of legal complaints handling, the challenges facing firms, and the strategic work underway to improve first‑tier resolution across the legal sector.
The backdrop to the discussion is the increase in the number of cases in which LeO identify poor complaints handling, up from 46% in 2023/24 to 49% in 2024/25; and efforts to stop complaints at source by equipping firms to better deal with issues before they become complaints.
Daniels says demand for LeO’s services has risen sharply, across all areas of law, with several likely drivers: rising customer expectations shaped by instantaneous digital communication, cost‑of‑living pressures increasing the inclination to complain, and sheer volume of transactions. Communication and delay remain the two most common causes of complaint—together accounting for around 47% of complaints. Often, complaints arise from mismanaged expectations, such as unclear service‑level agreements or clients misunderstanding the steps and timeframes in transactions.
There is the increasing role AI plays in complaints to consider. LeO is increasingly seeing (as are firms) consumers rely on tools such as ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to produce lengthy, formalised, and at times overly legalistic complaints, complete with copied‑and‑pasted case law. While understandable, this can hinder early, informal resolution. She encourages firms to avoid mirroring an escalated tone, instead refocusing on the core issue and maintaining a professional, calm approach.
Keen to dispel misconceptions about LeO Daniels reiterates the ombudsman is strictly impartial and supports firms as much as consumers, including dismissing complaints where service has clearly been reasonable. To help firms get matters right at first tier, LeO provides resources such as the technical advice desk, sector insights, and forthcoming Model Complaints Resolution Procedure, complete with templates and toolkits. A new learning platform with training and webinars is scheduled for 2026.
Listen in to hear more about LeO's attitude to setting and managing client expectations early, strategies to handle AI‑generated complaints effectively, and internal communication and processes that reduce escalation risk and improve client trust.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
From lawyer, to Microsoft and Meta, and now to Arken.legal, Anthony Philips legal journey takes him through a series of household technology names and halfway round the world before recently landing as CEO at the will writing and technology platform.
In this wide-ranging discussion, Philips shares his reflections on his own journye, and that of the wills and probate sector which is going through a process of digitalisation, modernisation and cultural change.
Wills and probate is a uniquely personal area of law; one in which the interface between people and technology must be navigated sensitively and incrementally says Philips.
He is an advocate for much of the proposed modernisation outlined in the Law Commission’s wholesale review of wills law; although he is clear technology should be an enabler, not an ideological driver. Practitioners and clients should be able to produce either a traditional paper will or an electronic version seamlessly, depending on what is right for them. Electronic wills are not inherently “better,” but suggests they can provide evidential advantages such as timestamps and enhanced audit trails. But concerns around remote witnessing, coercion, and safeguarding must be addressed with practical, industry‑led solutions rather than by leaving government to define standards alone.
There are lessons from other areas of law and technology to be learned too. Many sectors face interoperability challenges, the integration of different and competing technologies and platforms into each other to create a more seamless user experience, and the need for digital infrastructure improvements across government.
And in closing, Philips acknowledges there is a huge amount of complexity, interconnectivity, relationships and sector dynamics that take time to understand which all have a role to play in the speed of change.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
A deeply personal tragedy is the inspiration behind a new book launched by will writer Steve Bish, and the topic of discussion on the latest Today’s Wills and Probate podcast.
Bish is somewhat typical of many will writers who have unconventional routes in to the legal profession. His own career began in sales, marketing, training and recruitment, before running a traditional wooden window manufacturing business.
But the untimely and tragic death of a friend led Bish to retrain and become a will writer after supporting the family of his friend, and helping deal with the legal aftermath.
Close friend Carl was killed in a traffic collision during a scooter ride the pair were taking one evening. Carl died without a will, leaving his wife Anne and young daughter to navigate the rules of intestacy at the worst possible time. Witnessing their struggle left an imprint on Steve that inspired him to retrain.
He now spends a huge amount of time and energy advising clients on the importance of estate planning; a motivation that ultimately fuelled the creation of his book. He didn’t want a dry technical manual or a textbook that gathers dust. Instead, he aimed for a plain‑English, conversational guide, the kind of resource people could pick up, dip in and out of, and actually understand. The tone echoes how he speaks at WI and Rotary talks: relatable, humorous, accessible and packed with real‑world examples.
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way is now available to purchase, with a proportion of each sale being donated to the Kaotic Angel Foundation.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
Estate planning is changing; demand is rising, lifestyles are changing, family structures are becoming more complex, and taxation is crippling. Clients no longer want, or indeed need, a simple will. They want a plan. Something reviewed regularly. Something that adapts as life changes.
It's the topic of the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast as host David Opie welcome Andrew Houston, Managing Director of CTT Group on to discuss his views on moving away from traditional transactional work toward a model where ongoing service will become the norm.
With a nod to CTT's founder and industry innovator Clive Ponder, whose death just over 12 months ago came as a great shock, innovation and technology will be at the core of how we as an industry deliver the future of estate planning services.
AI is already reshaping training, advice quality, and client engagement; indeed CTT themselves have invested heavily in an in-house AI simulator, which allows advisers to practise conversations with a virtual client. It tests technical knowledge. It tests soft skills. And it provides instant feedback. A far cry from the old model of supervisors shadowing advisers in person.
Clients expect speed. Consistency and transparency in the all important fact find which, with the ever evolving legal landscape and rise in contentious matters, makes the role of technology in capturing information, prompting the right questions, and creating clear audit trails, all the more important.
Technology, says Houston, is the enabler.
There will of course be winners and losers. Firms that fail to evolve will fall behind. The winners will be those who continue to innovate. Those who embrace data. Those who refine the client journey. The next three years, he predicts, will bring rapid acceleration and possibly start to see a hugely fragmented market, consolidate.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
The latest Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast dives into one of the most pressing conversations in private client work: how technology can transform the way people create and register Lasting Powers of Attorney.
Host David Opie welcomes Matt Cresswell, founder of Power of Attorney Online, for a discussion about modernising a process that millions still find confusing, slow and inaccessible.
Like many founder stories, Matt's own route into the sector is far from traditional. After his father’s dementia diagnosis, Matt and his family struggled through an LPA process that was expensive, error‑prone and emotionally draining. His background in advertising, marketing and eight years at Facebook/Meta “planted a seed that maybe there’s a better way”.
The discussion explores why awareness of LPAs remains so low, despite their importance. Digitisation offers a huge opportunity for technology to improve accuracy, speed and user confidence suggests Matt, which would go some way to tackling the 50,000 applications rejected each year due to basic mistakes.
Digital tools aren’t designed to replace solicitors says Matt. Power of Attorney Online is a “Goldilocks” solution: guidance‑led, affordable and perfectly suited to straightforward applications, while more complex or sensitive cases remain firmly in the hands of legal professionals.
There is an opportunity for everyone concludes Matt. The sector can grow the market together, raise public understanding, and make LPAs easier for the millions who still don’t have one.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
The latest episode of Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast welcomes Angus Houston, founding director of Pavilion Row, in conversation with host David Opie.
Angus shares the story behind Pavilion Row’s creation and its mission to support professionals working in wills and probate. He reflects on the early challenges of establishing a business in such a sensitive area and the values that continue to guide its growth.
A key theme of the discussion is trust. Angus explains how Pavilion Row has built long‑standing relationships by prioritising transparency and reliability, ensuring practitioners and their clients feel supported at every stage.
The conversation also explores innovation. From adapting to regulatory changes to embracing new technologies, Angus highlights how Pavilion Row has remained agile while keeping its focus firmly on people. He stresses that progress in the sector must always balance efficiency with empathy, emphasising the responsibility professionals carry, and the importance of compassion alongside technical expertise.
He doesn't shy away from the bigger picture either, discussing the evolving landscape of wills and probate, the pressures facing practitioners, and the opportunities for collaboration across the sector.
Another 'must listen' from the Today's Wills and Probate podcast
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
"Be prepared, because the person who turns up might be that bloke who used to read the News at 10."
Journalist and broadcaster Alastair Stewart OBE joins the first podcast of the latest series of the Today's Wills and Probate Podcast to discuss his personal journey and challenges of living with vascular dementia. In a candid and personal discussion Stewart shares details of his early life, and formative influences which took him from Southern Television to a long career with ITN and later GB News, becoming one of the country's most recognisable broadcasters.
His journey to diagnosis, like many, begins long before confirmation in 2023. Stewart’s symptoms first showed in subtle ways before he was encouraged to visit his GP.
The discussion reflects on the impact of dementia both on Alastair himself, and his family. He touches on the role professional services play in making him feel 'safer' and better prepared for the future and provides some candid advice for practitioners on how to support clients living with dementia.
Honest, moving, and at times surprisingly uplifting, Alastair offers an eye‑opening perspective on a condition that is misunderstood and “terrifyingly common, but not terrifying.”
For practitioners supporting clients with cognitive decline, this episode is not only insightful—it is essential listening.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsors LEAP Estates, Estate Research, Property Ladder Group and Finders International.
David Opie hosts the latest episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast, introducing listeners to Vault Private Client, the newest practice within the Beyond Law Group.
Joining him are Russell Kaminsky, Partner at Vault, and Lucy Cresswell, Associate. Together they share the story behind the launch of Vault and how it fits into Beyond’s ambitious growth model.
Russell outlines his career journey from Brabners and JMW to leading Vault’s private client team. His focus has always been advising high‑net‑worth individuals, business owners, and families on succession planning and estate matters.
Lucy describes her progression from an admin role at JMW to qualifying as a solicitor. She brings deep experience in probate, estate administration, and inheritance tax planning, now channelled into Vault’s forward‑looking private client offering.
The conversation explores why Beyond Law Group identified private client services as a natural extension to its corporate, family, and property practices. Demand in the North West is strong, and Vault aims to meet it with a fresh, entrepreneurial approach.
Russell and Lucy emphasise their mission to make estate planning an opportunity rather than a burden. They highlight the importance of regulated, holistic advice that protects assets, mitigates tax, and avoids disputes.
Vault’s model is collaborative. Clients benefit from a trusted network of accountants, wealth managers, and other advisors, ensuring joined‑up solutions. Private equity backing gives the team freedom to build long‑term relationships rather than chase short‑term wins.
Culture is another theme. Beyond prides itself on being supportive, entrepreneurial, and people‑focused. Staff at every level are encouraged to contribute ideas and shape the firm’s direction.
Finally, the discussion turns to business development. From creative events to strong online presence, Vault is building its profile with energy and innovation. The ambition is clear: to become the leading boutique private client law firm in the UK.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsor VacantC Legal Recruitment
To what extent do women feel as though there is a glass ceiling in law and how can we overcome that? That is the question posed in the latest episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate podcast, as host David Opie sits down with Cara Doyle and Katie Howard from JMW Solicitors to explore gender equality in the legal profession.
Cara is a solicitor in the firm’s private wealth team, advising clients on wills, trusts, probate, and charitable structures. Katie is a partner in the family team, specialising in divorce, financial settlements, and protective orders. Their work often overlaps, offering clients a holistic approach to life’s most sensitive legal matters.
The conversation begins with personal stories and how Katie and Cara each enter the legal professions... neither of their journey's is straight forward and both reflect on the state of gender equality in law. While neither has faced overt discrimination, they acknowledge structural issues in employment, particularly around parental leave and the gender pay gap.
There has been progress, with post-COVID flexibility helping to level the playing field, but more progress is needed.
The discussion also explores the value of women-focused initiatives like Women in Wills. Initially sceptical, Cara found the experience empowering. Katie highlighted how women-only networking events can offer a more inclusive space, especially in male-dominated sectors.
Looking ahead, Cara is pursuing STEP accreditation and expanding JMW’s presence in Leeds. Katie is focused on mentoring junior colleagues and championing diverse routes into law.
Their message is clear: representation matters, and with the right support, women in law can thrive.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsor VacantC Legal Recruitment
As more than half of lawyers say they anticipate leaving their role within the next five years because of poor mental health and wellbeing, the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast tackles the issue head on with a wide ranging discussion on what organisations can do to protect their staff.
Joining the podcast are Trish McLellan and Niamh Warnock of LawCare; a mental health and wellbeing charity focused on the legal services sector. It has published the results of its survey into the wellbeing of those working across legal services; with concerning results.
Alongside the half of lawyers who said they anticipates leaving their role in the next 5 years, a third said they anticipated leaving the legal sector completely. The normalisation of overworking plays a sizeable role in high levels of burnout and anxiety undermining mental health and wellbeing. 79% of respondents said they regularly work beyond their contracted hours, with nearly 10% saying they worked 21 or more hours.
Half of respondents said they had experienced anxiety either often, very often, or all of the time over the last 12 months.
All of which suggests the sector faces a 'turning point' with both Trish and Niamh keen to point out there are things organisations can do proactively to support staff and tackle the nearly two thirds of workers who consider their mental health to be ‘poor’.
"What’s needed is strong leadership and the commitment to put them in place" said LawCare CEO Elizabeth Rimmer.
There are clear, practical steps that can be taken right now and outlined in the report that lead to a healthier sector, including actively managing workloads to prevent burnout, embedding flexible and hybrid working practices that recognise and support diverse needs and evaluating workplace mental health and wellbeing initiatives to ensure they deliver real impact - equipping people coming into the profession to help them have a sustainable career in law.
The case has been made; we don’t need more evidence. It is time to move on from discussing the problems to implementing solutions.
Read Life in the Law 2025 here on the LawCare website.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsor VacantC Legal Recruitment
The latest episode of the Today's Wills and Probate Podcast, takes a musical tur as host David Opie welcomes John Heavens, CEO of Your Legacy Solutions - and a professional jazz musician. John shares with David his background and how the worlds came to collide; and how he manages to balance his two professions.
By day, he leads a tech-driven estate planning firm. By night, he’s a signed vocalist and flautist with a London jazz and blues label. His musical roots run deep, with a family history steeped in performance, including a great-great-grandfather who played organ at Melbourne Cathedral.
The conversation explores how John manages his time and works with those around him. Discipline, organisation, and a strong support team are key... with practice at 5.30am part of his daily ritual.
John reflects on the parallels between music and estate planning. Both require structure, precision, and creativity. He discusses the mathematical nature of music theory and how it complements analytical thinking in business.
Technology plays a central role in John’s work. Legacy Solutions is nearly paperless, with systems built by co-director Andrew Cooper. AI is used cautiously for marketing, but John remains curious - and slightly wary - about its growing influence in both estate planning and the music industry.
The podcast also touches on the realities of being a professional musician. Beyond the glamour lies obsessive discipline, years of training, and a commitment to craft. John’s upcoming album, 90 Minutes from New York to Paris, launches on vinyl in May 2026 at the World Heartbeat Music Academy.
It’s a compelling listen for anyone interested in creativity, business, and the evolving role of technology in both. You can find more at johnheavens.com.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsor VacantC Legal Recruitment
The probate industry is under increasing pressure to demonstrate practitioners have acted in the best interest of the estate, particularly as beneficiaries become more financially dependent on inheritances.
The Probate Registry has done much to ease the pain of delays and now private enterprise is playing its part in helping law firms and probate professionals remain on the right side of compliance.
Enter Darren Leggett, Co-Founder and Co-Managing Director of Property Ladder Group (PLG) who joins the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast to discus how the organisation is geared not just to to support families but also enhance the professional capabilities of legal practitioners.
Increasing regulatory pressures, mitigating risk, complying with SRA guidelines and providing documented evidence for decisions are all part of the job familiar to probate professionals; particularly when facing scrutiny from beneficiaries or charitable organisations. Darren outlines how evidence-based reporting protects firms from claims and aligns with SRA guidelines when valuing property, emphasising the importance of documentation and transparency, especially in light of rising claims against law firms for undervaluing estates.
It's a concept Darren describes as “unregulated compliance”, a term coined to describe PLG’s commitment to maintaining high standards in an otherwise unregulated part of the probate process.
He shares his own journey and experiences which led to the founding of PLG, a full-service probate property solution, which provides solicitors, executors, and beneficiaries with everything from valuations and sales to garden maintenance, lock changes, and chattel clearance.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsor VacantC Legal Recruitment
In this episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate podcast, host David Opie is joined by Elka Goldstein, founder of Sort & Store, to explore how estate clearance is being reimagined for one of probate’s most emotionally fraught tasks: clearing a loved one’s home.
Sort and Store has taken the traditional house clearing process and introduced a digital element, documenting and cataloguing every item into a private online catalogue. Everything is then relocated to a secure warehouse and placed in storage. Families can browse, select, and decide what to keep, donate, or sell - in their own time, and from anywhere in the world.
The benefits, explains Elka, include giving families that time and space to grieve and decide what they want to do, rather than rushing them to make decisions under pressure. This approach not only eases emotional strain but also reduces conflict. With high-resolution images and item-level transparency, executors and probate professionals gain a clear record of estate contents—minimising disputes and supporting smoother administration. The platform’s categorisation tools and dropdown actions make it easy to coordinate decisions across families and professionals alike.
Elka also touches on the social impact of the service, from reducing landfill waste to partnering with charities that rehome donated items.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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In this episode of Today’s Wills and Probate, host David Opie welcomes Dan Baines, Founder and CEO of Advanced Inheritance, for a deep dive into the growing role of probate lending in modern estate administration. With delays in probate often leaving beneficiaries in financial limbo, organisations like Advanced Inheritance now offer a regulated, consumer-first solution designed to ease the provide reassurance to families.
The conversation explores two key areas of innovation in this space; lending which allows beneficiaries to access funds early from an estate before the grant of probate, and access to funding to help executors manage upfront costs including inheritance tax. Both are structured to protect consumers—no personal liability, capped interest, and repayment only once the estate is settled.
Dan explains how the business was founded on key principles, embracing FCA regulation and providing bereavement training to frontline staff. He is also aware of the responsibility lenders have to consumers, particularly those who are vulnerable, and explains how the focus is on empowering informed choices during a difficult time; providing access to budgeting tools for example to ensure support is offered responsibly and transparently.
The podcast provides practical insight into how financial innovation can complement traditional probate services for legal professionals, estate planners, and will writers—delivering empathy, flexibility, and real-world impact.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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This episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast is hosted by David Opie and features Lucinda Frostick, Director of Remember A Charity, and Meg Edwards, a solicitor specialising in trusts and estates disputes at Shakespeare Martineau. Their discussion centres on legacy giving, inheritance tax, and the importance of clear communication between advisors and clients.
Lucinda introduces Remember A Charity’s mission to encourage charitable bequests through a consortium of 200 member charities. She highlights positive trends in professional advisors raising legacy giving with clients.
Meg outlines the impact of frozen inheritance tax thresholds and pension changes, warning that more estates will become taxable by 2030. She explains how legacy gifts can reduce tax liability and why charitable bequests offer both practical and emotional benefits.
Together, they explore the disconnect between intention and action in charitable giving. Despite growing interest, too few people formalise their wishes in a will. Lucinda emphasises the role of advisors in bridging that gap by simply starting the conversation.
Meg offers best practice advice including the use of backstop beneficiaries, maintaining detailed file notes, and discussing the importance of setting expectations with loved ones.
Remember a Charity Week runs from 8–14 September 2025.
Charities, professional advisers and partners wishing to get involved in this year’s awareness week are encouraged to register their interest before 15th August 2025 at info@rememberacharity.org.uk.
Find out more online at: rememberacharity.org.uk/RACWeek
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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In this episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie explores the evolving world of probate property sales through the lens of auctions.
He’s joined by Russell Taylor, Managing Director and Auctioneer at probate.auction, and Corin Holness, Corporate Relationship Director. Together, they unpack how the auction process is helping executors, legal professionals, and beneficiaries realise better returns and greater transparency when selling estate property.
Russell, with 25 years of experience in the auction world, shares how a growing number of probate properties are being undervalued and resold—often leaving tens of thousands of pounds out of the estate. The podcast highlights why auction might be the right fit for certain properties, particularly those in disrepair, and how probate.auction offers a zero-fee model for sellers that keeps the estate’s value intact.
Corin emphasises the educational role their team plays, providing tailored advice to help determine whether auction or private sale is more appropriate. With greater reach than traditional estate agents, a streamlined nine-week process, and complete transparency, the platform offers a compelling alternative.
This episode lifts the curtain on a misunderstood corner of the probate journey—and what professionals should know when advising clients.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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In this episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast, David Opie welcomes a panel of legal experts to explore the recent Addison and Niaz case and its important implications for Larke v Nugus requests. He is joined by Lucy Scourfield, associate in the contentious trusts and probate team at Forbes Solicitors; Shannon Thompson, a non-contentious Wills, Trusts and Probate solicitor at Forbes, who are representing the firm; and Norman Lamb, a barrister from Nine Chambers, specialising in contentious probate matters.
Together, the panel delves into the facts of the Addison and Niaz case, examining the challenges encountered in securing disclosure from the will draftsman and highlighting the High Court’s decision to order the respondent to pay costs personally.
They unpack the broader tension between legal privilege and the duty to disclose, offering clear guidance on best practices for both contentious and non-contentious practitioners when responding to Larke v Nugus requests.
The discussion also touches on the growing significance of section 122 applications under the Senior Courts Act 1981, underscoring the consequences of delayed or inadequate responses.
With practical insights into the importance of file management, contemporaneous notes, and collaborative working between departments, this episode is essential listening for legal professionals involved in will drafting and dispute resolution.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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In this episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate podcast, host David Opie welcomes Anthony Allsopp, Head of Business, and Simon Barber, Technical Manager at Title Research, to explore the nuanced challenges of probate genealogy and the role of missing beneficiary insurance.
The conversation begins with a look at Title Research’s history, from its founding in 1965 to its evolution into a specialist firm focused on genealogy and international asset repatriation. Allsopp outlines the company’s structure, highlighting its two core teams—one dedicated to genealogical research, the other to asset recovery—and its connection to Kings Court Trust.
Barber elaborates on his role overseeing research quality and providing consultancy to legal professionals navigating estate complexities. He describes the persistent growth in modern genealogical challenges, particularly as blended families and digital data reshape how beneficiaries are identified.
The discussion also examines the use—and limitations—of tools like social media, the increasing reliance on digital records, and the emotional dynamics involved in missing beneficiary cases.
On the insurance side, Allsopp and Barber explain the two main types of cover, the importance of working with FCA-registered genealogists, and how insurers assess risk based on available documentation and the genealogy firm’s reputation.
Through practical insights and case examples, the episode emphasizes the need for collaboration between legal professionals, genealogists, and insurers to ensure smooth and secure estate administration. The conversation also anticipates growing complexity in this field, driven by evolving family dynamics and the legal and financial implications that follow.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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The project to modernise wills law book-ends the career of Professor Nick Hopkins in his role as the Commissioner for Property, Family and Trust Law at The Law Commission as he departs in the coming months following the end of his tenure.
Before he departs Nick sits down with Today's Wills and Probate Podcast host David Opie to discuss the culmination of 10 years' effort, resulting in the 500-page Modernising Wills Law report and associated draft bill.
He explains the focus of the report is tackling the major changes in law and society over the last 190 years. It's a challenge he concedes, but says there were three main aims that drove the commission's recommendations
- Ensure testators' testamentary intentions are given effect
- Protect vulnerable testators
- Provide greater clarity and certainty in the law
In a wide-ranging interview Nick explains how and why the Law Commission arrived at the recommendations and tackles some of the concerns raised by practitioners in the weeks after its publication.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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In this episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie welcomes Sam Grice, founder of Octopus Legacy (formerly Guardian Angel), to discuss the origins, evolution, and future ambitions of one of the fastest-growing companies in the end-of-life planning and bereavement support space.
Sam's journey into the wills and probate sector began with a deeply personal tragedy. In 2017, while working in financial services, Sam lost his mother suddenly in a car accident. At just 27, he found himself navigating the overwhelming emotional and logistical challenges of bereavement. With his father also in shock, Sam took on the responsibility of managing the legal, financial, and practical aftermath.
This experience exposed the fragmented and emotionally taxing nature of the bereavement process. It sparked a desire to create a company that could guide others through what he describes as “the toughest thing anyone’s ever going to go through.” Within days of his mother’s passing, the seed for what would become Guardian Angel was planted
Sam discusses Guardian Angel's journey from launch through to its integration into the energy and venture capital fund Octopus Group; an acquisition borne out of a shared journey of grief with Octopus' founder; and its ultimate ambition to be a national brand known for compassionate, comprehensive end-of-life support.
By combining people and technology, Octopus Legacy has consolidated its service offering, introduced legacy features like voice notes and personal messages alongside legal documentation, and launched its bereavement concierge, a service that allows grieving individuals to call a single number for help with anything from legal paperwork to finding a dog walker.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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In the latest episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie discusses the intriguing and often surprising world of probate genealogy with Eileen Lavelle, Regional Head at Anglia Research. Eileen offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it means to be a probate genealogist and how their work dovetails with the probate process.
Eileen's day-to-day role involves identifying and locating rightful heirs, constructing family trees, and providing solicitors with the necessary documentation to administer estates. Sometimes, it’s as simple as finding a missing son; other times, it’s a complex web of international research and historical detective work.
“No two days are the same,” she says. “You never know what you’re going to find when you start your day.”
Understandably much of the research work has moved online but it's not that long ago when much of Eileen's time was spent in and around Greater Manchester searching through microfilm and dusty library books. And while online is helpful, the key is to know where to look. “If you don’t know the sites exist, you can’t access the information,” she says.
Eileen shares a couple of anecdotes of cases of disappearing relatives who turn up on the other side of the world, bigamously married; and the case involving finding 72 beneficiaries for a £1.5m estate in Cornwall.
The discussion also touches on Missing Beneficiary Insurance (MBI) and where and when it is most appropriate to protect beneficiaries and professionals.
As society becomes more mobile and family structures more complex, Eileen anticipates that probate genealogy will only become more challenging. Blended families, unmarried parents, and international migration all complicate the process of proving relationships and inheritance rights.
Throughout the discussion Eileen's passion for the work is evident "I can’t believe I get paid for this!"
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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The latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast welcomes workplace culture and staff retention specialist Andre Thomas of Thomas Telman to discuss the critical importance of cultivating a positive workplace culture and the direct impact this has on staff retention and overall business success.
The firm has created a empirical methodology by which culture can be measured through engagement surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one interviews. He identifies 15 key data points for assessing culture, including career development, psychological safety, retention rates, and recruitment costs. By gathering both quantitative and qualitative data, firms can gain a comprehensive understanding of their workplace culture and identify areas for improvement.
Throughout the discussion Andre shares some of the detail of this methodology which can reduce the likelihood of errors and claims (engaged and satisfied employees are less likely to make mistakes), create positive cultures where employees feel valued, and aligned with the company's values increasing productivity, and plays a sizeable role in attracting and retaining top talent and ultimately improving profitability.
Andre Thomas explains that many firms fail to take culture seriously due to a lack of clear definition and measurement. He argues that culture is not about superficial perks like table tennis tables or bean bags but about the genuine employee experience. Conversely, a toxic culture is marked by poor communication, lack of psychological safety, and high turnover.
He encourages firms to be open about their findings and involve employees in the process of making improvements; trust and transparency are the foundations of a positive workplace culture, which in turn drives staff retention and business success.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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In this latest episode of the Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie is joined by Stephen Lawson, Partner at IDR Law and Elizabeth Gibbison, a solicitor at Irwin Mitchell and Chair of Law Society Private Client Solicitors Section Advisory Committee, to discuss the likely contents of the Wills Act 1837 by the Law Commission, its wider implications, and the broader legislative changes facing the private client sector
The Wills Act has remained largely unchanged for over 150 years. The Law Commission first tackled its reform in 2017, paused to address marriage law, and revisited it with a supplementary consultation in 2023. The result will likely be a comprehensive overhaul of how wills are made and interpreted in England and Wales.
A central feature of the report is the legal recognition of electronic wills. While the Law Commission supports their introduction, the specific technical requirements - such as identity verification and safeguards against fraud - will be left to statutory instruments, meaning further regulation from Parliament. The Commission is also likely to recommend that courts be granted the power to dispense with certain formalities, allowing them to validate wills that clearly reflect a deceased’s intention - even if they technically fall short of legal requirements.
Cases involving predatory marriages and dementia may also be tackled as efforts to protect vulnerable people are reviewed; including the automatic revocation of a Will following marriage.
A key point of contention is whether to retain the long-established Banks v Goodfellow test or move toward the more modern Mental Capacity Act 2005 framework. Lawson argued in favour of Banks v Goodfellow for its clarity and practicality, while Gibbison proposed a hybrid approach, using both tests complementarily.
The report comes at a hugely exciting time in private client practice with IHT reforms, Non-Dom regime changes, Assisted Dying, cohabitation reform and digital transformation all play out over the course of the next few years.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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Arken Group CEO Dave Newick joins the Today's Wills and Probate Podcast to discuss the output of a recent report published by Arken looking at the current landscape of the private client sector.
The podcast focuses on three key discussion points borne out of the report; law firms and professionals need to be;
- better at understanding the data they hold
- proactively manage the changing employment landscape
- explore scalability and finding their marketplace.
"Strategically navigating a consolidating estate planning market" looks at the current activity around the acquisition of smaller firms by larger firms actively seeking to build their will banks and client databases. Dave outlines how the arrival of private equity into the sector is impacting and warns with a general lack of succession planning, and changing workplace dynamics, firms are not always well equipped to deal with what's coming in the next 2, 5, and 10 years.
The total number of firms is diminishing and consolidators are realising the opportunity he says.
Where firms have an opportunity is in leveraging the data they hold in their client and will banks. Indeed, the value of firms is relative to their ability to interrogate, segment, and use their data for marketing purposes... in short the value of firms is diminished without the ability the leverage the data they hold.
On the changing employment landscape new models of employment are becoming more popular with the self-employed consultant style firm developing in private client having seen much success in conveyancing. The changes are driven by generations in the workforce who don't want to work in that traditional law firms way. Gen X'ers and Millennials value freedom and flexibility says Dave, and firms must be attuned to that.
And finally on distribution volume providers are scaling their businesses through partnerships with consumer organisations; how do you make the most of that when you don't have the scale to service at that level? Well, the answer says Dave is to be a part of the disruption; be in front of where the demand is and partner with introducers/IFAs etc. There is, he adds, renewed enthusiasm and interest in estate planning because of the great wealth transfer and with 27,000 licensed financial advisors there are plenty of opportunities to be targeting.
Strategically navigating a consolidating estate planning market white paper is available to review here.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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In this Today’s Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie sat down with Mariam Khan, Solicitor at WMP Legal, to discuss the complexities of Islamic wills and estate planning.
Many will writers and solicitors do not have the expertise to draft wills that align with both English law and Islamic inheritance principles. Mariam Khan has developed this niche expertise, ensuring that her clients receive advice that respects both legal and religious frameworks.
Mariam’s journey into this specialisation began during her studies. While attending a legal exhibition in Birmingham, a solicitor approached her and suggested she consider focusing on Islamic wills. Having studied Islamic studies and Islamic inheritance laws in her youth, she found this to be a natural fit. However, she soon realised that Islamic wills are more complex than they initially appear and require in-depth training to execute correctly.
To refine her expertise, Mariam travelled to Pakistan for further education. This experience deepened her understanding of Islamic inheritance law, reinforcing the necessity of having knowledge in both English and Islamic legal systems. While the COVID-19 lockdown delayed her return, it provided her with an opportunity to immerse herself further in the subject.
A key distinction between standard wills and Islamic wills is the concept of testamentary freedom. In English law, individuals have the freedom to distribute their estate as they wish, including excluding certain people. In contrast, Islamic wills adhere to guidelines set forth in the Quran, specifying fixed shares for heirs. Mariam also outlined the key differences between English and Islamic wills.
When asked whether the Muslim community has a higher proportion of will-writers compared to other communities, Mariam noted a 50/50 divide. Historically, will-writing has been less common in the Muslim community due to a lack of awareness. However, as understanding of Islamic inheritance obligations increases, more individuals are taking steps to ensure their wills are correctly structured.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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Podcast host David Opie in joined by CEO of the charity LawCare, Elizabeth Rimmer, to discuss their latest "Life in the Law" surveys which are now open for completion until Friday 21st March.
LawCare supports and promotes mental health and wellbeing across the legal services sector. They have 2 main focuses. Their first is in providing direct support on and offline for those who wish to reach out. Their second focus is on providing wider education and advocacy of mental health planning and promotion across the law. Importantly, says Elizabeth, LawCare help organisations understand how they can better support their people through identifying risk factors in the work place that undermine people's mental health
The survey last ran in 2020 with the results published in 2021 and found 69% of respondents said that had experienced poor mental health. Addressing some of the reasons why the survey found 1 in 5 respondents had experienced bullying and workplace harassment; and less than half of respondents with line management responsibilities had any formal training.
In 2025 there are 2 surveys to complete; one for individuals and one for organisations. More information about how to complete the surveys is on the LawCare website (Life in the Law) and below.
The surveys are asking questions about wellbeing, hours people work, psychological safety, burnout, management and support, and bullying and harassment.
For organisations, the survey is looking into whats steps are organisations taking to address the factors of poor mental health. Good mental health is a strategic investment, says Elizabeth. Staff who have positive mental health are going to be more effective, more productive, more likely to stay in the organisations.
The objective of the surveys is to help produce evidence based best practice for firms to practically implement into their organisations. This needs to be done properly, strategically, and you need to give people capacity to deliver it concludes Elizabeth.
Complete the surveys via the links below:
- Life in the Law 2025 (Individuals)
- Life in the Law 2025 (Organisations)
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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The Today's Wills and Probate Podcast welcomes back Dan Warburton, a law firm consultant and trainer who specialises in helping individuals delegate work more effectively; in the process junior staff are elevated, the individual has a happier work/life balance, and ultimately the firm can be more profitable.
It's a soapbox Dan has jumped on before having appeared previously on the podcast to discuss “the skill of profitable delegation;” creating leaders who can deliver high levels of performance across their team. Few partners achieve what Dan describes as a “transition out of being a technician in the business to being a business owner"; it should be their objective to remove themselves from a position where the structure and success of the organisation relies on them.
This discussion centres on the launch of Dan's book "Delegate Now to Supercharge Your Profits" in which he outlines the secrets to his methodology;
- including the key differences between "delegation" and "profitable delegation" - "It’s easy to delegate work away ineffectively... It’s a very different skill to delegate work away and have it handled to a high standard whilst gaining a great reputation and making a firm reliably profitable.")
- Proactive and reactive management - "I’ve come to see that there really is no other way than leading regular one-on-one calls to lead and manage team members effectively."
- Leading teams in a way that makes them loyal to you
Throughout the podcast Dan discusses tips and tactics for how to work with individuals in the business to help them become more efficient, effective and confident members of the team which in turn enables leaders to lead, rather than remaining forever in the The Law Technician’s Valley of Doom - It’s where partners are all burned out from working long hours and cannot see how to increase their firms’ profits without working even longer hours.
They cannot stop working, and they cannot take breaks to recharge their batteries very often. They take holidays infrequently because their firms rely on them so much to keep operating.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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In the second episode of the fourth series of the Today's Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie sat down with Taz Khalid, CEO, and Jean Ward, COO of My Probate Solicitor (MPS), to discuss the launch of the new business and the introduction of ZENA—an AI-powered “warrior princess” designed to streamline probate services for an ageing and growing population.
MPS was founded as a tech-centric firm with AI at its core, offering a fixed-fee solution for probate. Ward, who transitioned from a background in personal injury to the private client sector, saw an opportunity to create a more efficient and controlled process. By commissioning AI and training it with carefully curated data, the team has successfully developed ZENA to enhance their services.
MPS specialises in probate, wills, and trusts while maintaining a transparent, fixed-fee model. They describe their process as being 'streamlined and AI-powered' guiding clients through each step with precision and ease.
Khalid and Ward emphasised their vision for MPS is as a leader in legal tech placing the client at the centre of the experience; they will, for example, provide direct phone support where clients can receive immediate assistance.
Looking ahead, Khalid expressed a desire for the probate market to move towards fixed fees, ensuring fairness and transparency for consumers. As an SRA-regulated firm, MPS hopes to set an example for the legal industry, encouraging other professionals to adopt a more tech (and consumer) friendly approach.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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In the first episode of the fourth series of the Today's Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie is joined by Alison Hesketh of TimeFinders; a service best described as providing later life admin support.
Filling the "yawning gap" between the legal and financial professions, and the care sector, Timefinders was set up in 2010 following Alison's own experiences of supporting her family.
Initially focused on retirement downsizing, the business rapidly widened its services to help people 'live in the right place at the right time.' There is little information about care options and contingency planning, says Alison. And as we are regularly reminded, when only c.60% of the adult population have a Will, encouraging people to think about what happens in later life can be challenging.
"What happens if you can't drive any more; what happens if you can't get upstairs and you don't have facilities downstairs... these questions are things people don't want to think about but what we find is when we guide them through that process, every single time clients say they feel so much better because it's been a worry in the back of my mind."
TimeFinders works with legal and financial advisors to ensure people are properly prepared with up to dates Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney as an example. Their advocacy service is designed to help clients make important decisions about their future while they can; and often work with people whose own family is unable to provide that dedicated support, whether through distance or other commitments.
It's disappointing, concludes Alison, successive governments have kicked the social care can down the road and we have to do something to protect the most vulnerable in society.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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What is the current sentiment across the profession around wills, probate, client experience, speed of administration, attitude toward financial services... that is the topic of the latest Today's Wills and Probate which delves into the recently published "Bereavement Index"; an annual report tracking the key issues facing individuals and firms dealing with the administration of death.
It is a "state of the nation" says Aleks Tomczyk, the report's author and co-Founder and Managing of Exizent, covering three key areas of death administration; the individuals and families going through bereavement; the legal profession; and financial services.
This latest version of the report, which is now in its 4th year, covers the attitudes of legal professionals, identifying a marked increase in the percentage of legal firms who think the probate process is "slow and inefficient"; which has increased from 67% in 2022, to 94% this year.
In the first part of this year's report, released earlier in 2024, reassuringly for the profession, 94% of people who turned to a professional for help, would do so again. So, says Tomczyk, the profession is doing something right! But inefficiency and capacity are major issues for firms.
57% of respondents said government need to be better; with delays at HMRC and HMCTS, not to mention the Probate Registry, a constant frustration. And that frustration is increasing, with over 65% of respondents saying they believe probate cases are delayed more than 50% of the time, compared to 39% in 2023.
And then firms themselves could be looking inwardly at investment in dedicated software and technology which will reduce admin. "Software is good at that stuff", say Tomczyk, "putting in information once and using it multiple times to populate court forms and estate accounts for example."
And technology has a huge role to play in the recruitment and retention of talent who are, says Tomczyk, digital natives, regaling a story from a recent university presentation where the room was filled with laptops and tablets, not pen and paper, for note taking.
The report is a fitting end to the latest series of the Today's Wills and Probate Podcast with some useful thoughts and takeaways for firms to think about into 2025 and beyond. The latest report can be downloaded via this link.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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Legal Services Director at Kings Court Trust Charlotte Toogood joins the latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast to impart her experience of working in estate administration over the last 16 years.
With contentious probate on the rise Charlotte shares her thoughts on what we can do as practitioners, and how we can better advise families to either avoid disputes, or deal with them constructively and to the benefit of all.
"There is a lot of information in the national press about estate planning; I don't agree with it all but people believe what they read and as professionals we have a responsibility to educate clients on the complexities, and realities of estate administration."
Take caveats as an example; they are so easy to place electronically and are incredibly impulsive; people simply don't realise the impact and the ensuing delays.
Asked how practitioners can pre-empt disputes Charlotte suggests we need to encourage families to have conversations in their lifetime; rather than wait when it's too late and the decision can't be explained. Clients need to be encouraged to be open about family dynamics; it is the role of the professionals to ask the right questions and encourage open communication from the outset of the relationship, says Charlotte.
She adds where disputes arise, staff can end up bearing the brunt of client frustrations and explains how as a business they have fine tuned their support for staff through line management, regular file review meeting, and the introduction of mental health first aiders at Kings Court Trust.
The podcast finishes with a case study of a complex matter in which Charlotte explains the scenario, and how, through working collaboratively as a business and with their clients and peers, they succeeded in bringing the matter to fruition.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
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Today's Wills and Probate Host David Opie is joined by Birketts' Head of the Private Wealth Dispute Team Bernadette Baker and Partner in the team Kate Harris to discuss the case of Leonard v Leonard; a convoluted and disputed probate case concerning the estate of Jack Leonard and the validity of two separate Wills.
Bernadette leads with a comprehensive outline of the case, including considerations for Jack's blended families, his extensive business interests and in later life, failing health.
Kate picks up the details of the disputes which found the later Will, written in 2015, was not valid due to Jack's lack of testamentary capacity. But the case is important for practitioners for a number of reasons
- This case confirmed Banks v Goodfellow is still the correct test for testamentary capacity and has not been displaced by the Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Importantly the case re-affirms the test for the validity relates to the understanding of the Will being written; not just the concept of writing a Will.
- Long term illnesses WILL impact testamentary capacity; as opposed to shorter, episodic illness
The discussion also explores the impact of technology on this case, with Bernadette acknowledging in all likelihood there was evidence on Jack's phone and email accounts that would have been useful in the case; but the inability to access such information meant the evidence was lost. There is a message here for practitioners around advising clients on the ability of their loved ones to access electronics and accounts (like mobile phones) when they are gone.
A fascinating insight into the ramifications of a case that was widely reported on in the national and industry press from the team who successfully brought the case to the courts.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsor VacantC Legal Recruitment
As one of the disruptors in the wake of the Legal Services Act 2007 QualitySolicitors (QS) was launched in 2009 with the ambition to help the high street fight back against the anticipated onslaught of major brands entering the legal market - so-called 'Tesco Law.'
QS grew rapidly, with firms up and down the country adopting the familiar black and pink branding, adding the name "QualitySolicitors" to their firm name to create greater brand recognition. In 2011 an investment of c.£100m saw Palamon Capital Partners take a majority stake in the group.
In the years since QS has remained steadfast in its support for the high street and, after a short stint as part of Metamorph, emerged relatively unscathed following a Management Buyout (MBO) in 2022.
On this latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie welcomes CEO Richard Skelley and Chief Operating Officer Victoria Browning to discuss what's next for QS.
There is still much continuity; Victoria has been with the business since 2016 overseeing much of the work done to support firms with recruitment and business development, employer branding and conveyancing panel services. And equally there are breaks from the past; QS firms no longer need to rebrand their firm for example.
The business is now focused on 4 key principles, explains Richard. The QS Way: A Philosophy for Sustainable Growth covers People, Process & Procedures, Power of Many, and Profile - principles supported by continued to efforts to help firms through the QualitySolicitors consumer-facing website which still generates 1m hits annually.
And membership has been reviewed with a new tiered approach offering free, 'lite' and full options for firms. It is, says Richard, a much more flexible approach than previously.
We've kept the great bits QS had - we have over 100 sites across the country and still have clients that joined right at the start - and augmented it with a range new options based on member feedback, concludes Richard, adding we are always happy to talk to firms interested in learning more about how QS can support them in the growth ambitions.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsor VacantC Legal Recruitment
Free and low cost will schemes are an established part of the wills and probate sector, providing charities with valuable legacy income streams, and practitioners with their largest source of lead generation.
The latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast welcomes Richard Millar of Capacity Marketing on to discuss the value of free and low cost will networks.
Capacity Marketing is probably one of those companies you've never heard of, but have almost certainly come across in some way. The business runs the National Free Wills Network, set up in 2008, to bring charities, firms and the public together.
The podcast explores the various views around whether free and low cost will services devalue will writing; and how they can be used as part of the wider estate and later life planning conversation with clients.
There is no doubt, says Richard, will writing is seen in some quarters as a loss lead service. Our own statistics show around 85-90% of those who engage with National Free Wills Network will use it to complete a "Standard" will. But it is absolutely the basis for on ongoing relationship.
And of course for charities, will writing is a vitally important source of income. As Richard says, good intentions count for nothing.
The conversation also discusses the recently published CMA guidance which is welcome and should give the public more protection. He suggests transparency is a hugely important issue to address; comparing a comprehensive service from a city centre firm, to an online will writing questionnaire service might be obvious to us, but assumes a level of knowledge from the public they might not have.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Thank you to our podcast sponsor VacantC Legal Recruitment
Dean Morgan is the Managing Director of a franchise of Grey Matters Consultancy; a business founded with the aim of meeting the needs of those in retirement at the point they need additional assistance, and for offering guidance to those who have the responsibility for their care.
Dean is himself a franchisee based in Cardiff with a background in social care and through Grey Matters provides a range of services focused on identifying financial support for the elderly and vulnerable; anything from disabled badges and council tax exemption to pension credits and attendance allowance.
Attendance allowance specifically is a hugely under-appreciated and under utilised benefit, providing financial support to people of retirement age and older to live comfortably and independently in their own home.
It can be over £5000 per annum at the higher rate, and Dean does a lot of work, including podcasts like this, to help people understand their eligibility and correct common misconceptions.
One of the biggest barriers is the application form. For an indication of the complicated nature of applying for attendance allowance Dean cites research from 2021 which showed 60% of applications fail. In his own franchise he is achieving 99% success rates.
He explains how doing things "in the right order" can often help with applications; attendance allowance can open up eligibility for pension credit; can be used as evidence to support council tax reduction claims; those caring for recipients of attendance allowance could claim carer's allowance.
Dean also explains how the requests for help often come from the families of the vulnerable, not from vulnerable people themselves who often suffer in silence.
Listen in for Dean's interesting insight into the much needed work of organisations who play their part in supporting the social care sector and how they can work with private client practitioners to dovetail their services.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Helen Stewart, Partner and Head of Probate at Thomson, Snell & Passmore joins the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast to discuss the launch of a new association to support collaboration and best practice amongst independent administrators (IAs) and estates in conflict.
The National Association of Independent Administrators (NAIA) brings together contentious and non-contentious practitioners in disputed estate administration work.
The work of IAs is important, says Helen, citing figures that show there are 10,000 disputed estates annually. In 2021/22 195 disputes ended up in the courts, up from 145 in 2017 - and these numbers don't include estates settled out of court.
We know contentious matters continue to be on the increase so it made sense to introduce an opportunity to share ideas, best practice, collaboration and referrals amongst practitioners. There is also a need for the work of IA's to be better known and understood; a key objective of the NAIA
Helen discusses her introduction to IA work and how the group has fostered a community of professionals with shared expertise, supporting one another through pooled experience.
Formal submissions are required and membership criteria is laid out in the developing constitution. For those interested in finding out more about the NAIA, whether for membership or referrals, you can contact Helen Stewart on helen.stewart@ts-p.co.uk.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Tim Hewson joins the Today's Wills and Probate podcast to discuss LegalWills - his Canadian-based technology company providing will writing and estate planning services in Canada and North America.
The business started in a bar in Ottawa where Tim and his colleagues were discussing whether any of them, all successful tech high-flyers, had a will or had considered any form of later life and succession planning. Somewhat serendipitously none of them had and it sparked the idea to launch the business in 2001.
In the time since Tim and his small team have built up the business offering Will writing services in North America, Canada, South Africa and England and Wales; each providing a unique challenge to the software and workflows.
The discussion moves on to the differing speed at which the various jurisdictions, sometimes even within the same country in the case of the USA, are adopting innovation and technology. Electronic signing and storage is one example, says Tim, where it's important we keep up with the changing legislation to ensure our product and service is where it needs to be.
The law as changing as well; Tim uses the example of cohabitation and 'Common Law' relationships where some states have greater legal protections that other which have to be accounted for in estate and succession planning.
On the general trends over the past 20+ years in the sector Tim bemoans the speed of innovation and change, identifying it often needs legislative intervention and lobbying to enact. But greater acceptance of digital in our daily lives has made online wills more accessible and acceptable, which, says Tim, can only be a good thing.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has recently requested law firms complete an anti-money laundering and sanctions data collection exercise. The SRA is required by Office for Professional Body Anti-Money Laundering Supervision (OPBAS) to take a risk-based approach to supervision and is requesting firms complete the requested information as full as possible.
It will, they say enable them to "see the distribution of risk across the legal profession, which in turn informs our programme of inspections and our guidance."
The latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast welcomes Gavin Ball of HiveRisk to tackle the tricky topic of what firms need to be thinking about when it comes to completing the information, and wider considerations when it comes to firms' anti-money laundering policies, processes and procedures.
In 2024 alone law firms have been fine £200,000 directly relating to failures in their anti-money laundering and sanctions processes.
Gavin goes on to discuss the areas he sees firms failing on as a compliance specialist. He talks technology and how it can help firms with their compliance obligations but warns the key is understanding what the information is telling you... in their audits the SRA will challenge firms and staff to interpret reports provided through technology and how to interpret its content.
Gavin also discusses politically exposed persons (PEPs), sanctions, and how to deal with reporting suspicious activity (SARs) to the National Crime Agency (NCA) in this informative and insightful podcast.
The deadline for firms to complete the SRA form is by 13.00 on 23 September 2024.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Behaviour change campaign Remember a Charity is a consortium of around 200 charities dedicated to growing the legacy market; helping charities develop what is an increasingly vital long term revenue stream.
In the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie is joined by Lucinda Frostick, Director at Remember a Charity and Chris Millward Head of Legacies at Princess Alice Hospice and part of the consortium of charities.
Remember a Charity Week is coming up from 9th to 15th September 2024 and there is still time to take part. As part of their commitment, campaign supporters drawn fro across both the regulated and unregulated legal communities are asked to raise awareness of leaving a gift to charity in their clients' wills. Remember a Charity provide a range of free resources on their website, which is visited by 300,000 visitors each year, to support with these efforts.
To put the importance of legacies into context Chris explains it costs around £10m every year to run Princess Alice Hospice and it's wider services in a care area of c. 1m people across south west London, Surry and Middlesex. At any one time it has around 1000 people under its care at home, in care homes or at the hospice.
20% of its funding comes from the NHS, but the rest is from voluntary donations. On average, each year one third of their income is derived from gifts in wills.
Remember a Charity research has shown legacy gifting has grown as around 1 in 5 charity supporters aged 40+ now leave a charity gift in their will. However, twice as many people would be happy to leave a gift in their will; it is, says Lucinda, so important we do everything we can to close that gap between intention and action and "normalise" legacy giving.
When considering the blockers to closing that gap between intention and action, Remember a Charity have done research with both the profession, and consumers. Many professionals suggest clients are clear about who they want their inheritance to go to, and are concerned about creating issues which could later lead to dispute.
However this isn't borne out in the consumer research where in many cases clients are clear where they wish to leave their estate, but are not concerned about later disputes In fact, the biggest blocker is in most cases it simply did not occur to the testator to leave a gift in their Will. Research shows even mentioning the opportunity to leave a charity gift in a will doubles the chances of the client including it.
Throughout an insightful, and important discussion, Lucinda and Chris share their experiences and thoughts on how firms can normalise legacy gifting.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Ashley Rowthorn, CEO and Kath Horsley, Senior Consultant at Legacy Futures join the Today's Wills and Probate podcast to discuss their latest piece of research on the investment charities make in their marketing.
The Legacy Marketing Benchmarks report provides insight into
- helping charities understand what legacy marketing is
- enable charities to benchmark their spend
- helping charities make a business case for securing investment into legacy marketing
Legacy Futures is on a mission to help charities grow their legacy gifting. In the last year around £4bn was donated to charity through wills; a figure which has quadrupled since the 1990s. And the number of charities benefitting continues to grow, with c. 10,000 the beneficiary of legacy gifting last year.
Ashley and Kath highlight the critical role practitioners play in encouraging people to write charity gifts into their wills. The report itself asks charities
- how much are you spending on legacy marketing
- how many people are involved
- what channels are you investing in
recognising legacy gifting marketing is difficult to quantify, often because of the time between writing a final will, and death (c. 7 years). Legacy Benchmarking also looks at the conversion rate between pledges and money being left to charity and helps charities to understand which channels are most effective and offer the highest return on investment.
Ashley is keen to debunk any moral dilemma for charities spending money on marketing; it is a key part of their outreach and done well, yields many more commitments of support.
Legacy marketing spend has grown and now accounts for 6.2% of total fundraising spend, up significant from 5 years ago when it was 3.7%. But with legacies accounting for 42% of total fundraising, charities must continue to invest in it to maintain and grow their fundraising.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Regulation, collaboration and the response to the Competition and Markets Authority review of will writing services all form part of the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast. Host David Opie is joined by Antony Brinkman; CEO of the Willwriting Partnership and Chair of the Professional Standards Board (PSB).
At the outset Antony explains the role of the PSB, a separate function from the Society of Will Writers, which is to enhance the skills and develop the competence and abilities of SWW members. Although its current role, which given the voluntary nature of membership for unregulated will writers is largely a support function, Antony sees that it may have a wider role to play in the future.
As CEO of The Willwriting Partnership he is responsible for the growth and stability of the company, improving the quality of the work and what challenges he sees for the sector.
Inevitably the topic of discussion moves on to regulation; we are moving in the right direction in terms of quality says Antony, and in his view it almost certainly will happen, citing the regulation of financial service, mortgages, and more recently funeral planning as examples of the direction of travel.
Regulation wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing; but in Antony's view there is a risk heavy regulation would limit choice, which would most certainly be a bad thing. Indeed the PSB and SWW largely welcomed the recent CMA investigation, with its focus on providing greater clarity for firms around their obligations under consumer law.
Could it have gone further? Almost certainly, says Antony. Mandatory membership would have been a much stronger message; we still face the conundrum of trying to bring into line organisations who operate outside of the consumer protections provided of the membership bodies which was a significant part of the investigation.
The discussion is an interesting discourse on the present and future of the will writing sector and the roles the various industry may play on shaping it.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The five most expensive words in the English language - "it's a matter of principle." Because principles cost money. And this increasingly plays out across contentious private client matters, in inheritance and probate disputes.
joining host David Opie on the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast is Hayley Gaffney, an associate at Coodes Solicitors and member of the firm's contentious probate team.
She discusses the increasing number of claims she is seeing, reflective of the wider sector; and the drivers behind these, including societal issues, blended and complicated families, and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic which is starting to see the predicted rise in claims.
Hayley explores her own caseload and advice to clients around trying to remove emotion from matters, avoiding diving straight into litigation, advising clients of the merits of cases and managing expectations, and considering the commercial implications. She highlights the use of mediation as a great way of creating flexibility in decision making and find solutions that think outside the box.
Hayley is also a big advocate for knowledge sharing with non-contentious practitioners, both internally in the firm, and externally through forums like this podcast, and using cases as pointers for how to pre-empt issues that come up in her caseload. She points to a number of recent cases in which the individual who had drafted the disputed will has ended up in the witness box in court; and provides some thoughts on what will writers and solicitors could be doing to protect themselves and their clients.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
People who were born between 1946 and 1964, the so called Baby Boomer Generation, is a cohort of 16.8 million people; and due to favourable financial conditions in that time are the wealthiest generation in human history, holding somewhere in the region on 80% of the UK's wealth.
With the older baby boomer now 78 years old, and against a backdrop of an average age of death of 80.7 in the UK, we are about to see the largest transition of wealth from one generation to another ever; in what has become known as The Great Wealth Transfer.
Joining host David Opie on this latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast is Arken Group CEO Dave Newick, to discuss how the wills and probate profession prepares for this responsibility, and opportunity. Dave explores recently produced research undertaken by Arken.legal which surveyed the profession's attitudes and preparedness to take advantage.
The findings show that most firm's clients are aged 51 or over. Indeed millennials and those younger are a very small minority of the client base. And given that around two thirds of professionals believe the value of inherited estate will exceed £200,000 should firms be more engaged with the beneficiaries of the estates they hope to be acting for.
Just 23% of respondents said they had a relationship with the beneficiaries; and with current clients concerned about how their wealth will be passed on, there is an increasing expectation that this inherited wealth should be forming part of beneficiaries' future financial planing.
Inevitably technology has a part to play and Dave moves on to discuss the survey findings which identify a desire on the part of firms and advisors to provide simpler solutions for their clients; indeed post-pandemic there is greater familiarity with technology in the older generations which wasn't there previously.
There will, says Dave, be winners and losers and firms must decide now how they need to tackle the challenge and opportunity that lies ahead.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this specially recorded podcast, the Today's Wills and Probate podcast joins forces with its sister podcasts from the Today's Conveyancer and Today's Family Lawyer online news publications to discuss the topic of mental health and wellbeing ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, from 13th May 2024.
Podcast host David Opie welcomes Managing Director of Culver Law Michael Culver, Marc Etherington (Rayden Solicitors) and Laura Burkinshaw (Convey Law) to discuss the mental health and wellbeing of those working across private client, family law, and residential conveyancing. The three guests identify some shared, and unique, challenges they face in their own roles, and discuss their own experiences of dealing with their mental health and wellbeing.
What is clear from the discussion is that legal services is taking mental health and wellbeing much more seriously than it ever has; with firms taking a more proactive approach to support for staff.
The podcast moves on to explore a range of skills and tools we can employ in our own mental health and wellbeing journeys to cope with the stresses and strains of modern legal life; with some fantastic ideas shared to help people exercise their bodies and minds, cope and deal with their roles, and get into what is described as their "flow state"; the experience of being so absorbed by an engaging, enjoyable task that your attention is completely held by it.
The podcast is being published as part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2024. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Dylan O'Brien, the founder of BePrepared, joins the latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast to discuss his take on the increasingly challenging issue of managing digital assets in estate planning, and what role technology has to play in supporting practitioners.
BePrepared was launched in Australia and has expanded into the USA and UK in the time since. Dylan explores the differences they have encountered in the various jurisdictions and the issues with platforms like Google and Apple when it comes to managing, and sharing, digital assets accrued through those platforms.
Dylan also discusses the challenges he sees in law firms adopting technology; from the impact of a global pandemic, to the constraints placed on practitioners around the need to billing time, not exploring innovation. But, he says, firms will be forced to adapt to new consumer expectations by their clients and those who don't, will be left behind.
In terms of the future, Dylan is unequivocal that the future of wills and probate is digital; digital wills and digital estates. Can you collate and collect digital records in order to administer them effectively. E-signing and e-witnessing will take time so for the time being, the role of technology is to digitise what we can now, anticipating a fuller digital journey in the near future.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Joining the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast is Dan Temple, an expert in acknowledging and understanding the human impact of working, and managing employees and businesses. The discussion centres on creating effective and high performing teams, and what steps law firms can, and should, be taking to enable this in their business.
Dan leads Cobalt Human Solutions, a training consultancy which focuses on creating effective teams, drawn from his own experiences in the Royal Air Force as part of the Chinook helicopter crew.
The podcast discusses how creating high performing teams requires a number of key elements. Dan describes how trust and accountability are paramount.
- There should be a clear objective and vision which can be communicated to the team
- Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and people understand their own contribution to success
- Processes and procedures are in place that ensure the training is effective
- People have to have the ability to get on with others; they don't necessarily need to like one another, but there must be mutual respect
Ultimately, says Dan, the environment and culture of the workplace is where the success and failure of organisations is derived. He suggests that one of the key failings he identifies in many businesses is a blame culture; the inability of staff to be open, honest and appropriately challenge - what Dan describes as a "just culture." Staff are fearful of doing something wrong, rather than challenging management.
As well as root cause analysis, Dan encourages organisations to conduct "pre-mortems" - the idea being that you spend time identifying potential pitfalls in a plan and anticipate how you might deal with them should they arise.
And if you ever wanted to understand how the difference between egg mayonnaise and aircraft is relevant to leadership and management, listen in to this insightful and entertaining discussion.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The Today's Wills and Probate Podcast welcomes Andrew Buchan, Managing Director of James McKenzie Wills, to discuss the ups and downs of running an estate planning business.
Andrew has been with the business for 14 years and has seen the development of the sector first hand. He explains his role and responsibility both to his staff but also to his clients; it's been said many times but customer service really is king and ensuring that staff have the tools to do their jobs effectively is hugely important to Andrew.
Andrew talks about the difference between a service driven proposition, and a sales driven proposition when it comes to dealing with clients; that one will almost certainly not lead to a positive client outcome. Andrew shares insight into his own quality controls and level of training he and the staff undertake to ensure they meet the high standards expected of those in the business.
The conversation avoids the topic of regulation as long as possible but inevitably talk turns to improving standards in the industry and how that can be achieved. Andrew points to the increasing costs that come with regulation and qualification; risking a reduction in access to legal services.
In the absence of regulation, what does credibility and quality control look like? Andrew suggests that greater collaboration and agreement from the various membership bodies around a set of agreed standards, qualifications and evidence of CPD would go some way to creating a better framework for the will writing community and protect clients.
The conversation moves on the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the lingering impact on the business; and how Andrew has navigated the past few years.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast welcome Dan Warburton on to discuss the topic of leadership. Dan works with law firms leaders and partners to elevate their leadership skills to enable them empower staff to be more efficient and effective.
Dan describes his work as "the skill of profitable delegation;" to create leaders who can deliver high levels of performance across their team.
He cites the structure of many law firms in which lawyers are targeted on clients and the number of hours they bill... the system is set up in such a way that the more hours you work, in theory the more profit and remuneration can achieve. But when it comes to promotion what happens is you are expected to continue to build a client bank, and bill your hours, and manage a team of people. It is, says Dan, unachievable without simply more time into the equation, which has an impact on wellbeing and staff retention.
Few partners achieve what Dan describes as a "transition out of being a technician in the business to being a business owner. The structure and success of the organisation relies on them.
There is a way to resolve this, but we can only create successful teams when they willingly take responsibility for the success of the business. Dan shares his insight into how law firms can empower management teams and leaders to build trust and confidence in staff through regular one-to-one calls and coaching sessions.
There is a cycle that needs breaking in law firms, says Dan. If a partners we keep our head down and just keep trying to crank out work we build firms that rely on us. When our team want things from us and we tell them what they need, they just keep relying on us. We must delegate work away and create highly effective team members underneath us
Throughout the discussion Dan shares leadership insight and tools that leaders and manager can take away and implement today. One such example is the process of making requests, in which there are 3 key elements
- You must be clear on exactly what you want done; which must be measurable, not an abstract principle such as "keeping the client happy."
- It must have a timeframe
- You must have joint agreement and offer the respondent the opportunity accept, decline or counteroffer in order to reach a jointly agreed action plan.
Ultimately, says Dan, when leadership is in, it's in.. when leadership is out, it's out. Listen in to this interesting discussion for law firm leaders and managers.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Hamza Hafesji, Group Product Manager at Advanced Legal, joins the latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast to discuss the importance of implementing a culture of performance management in a business.
For years the only time most employees receive any sort of constructive feedback has been in an annual appraisal. For Hamza, something has to fundamentally change and feedback must be much more of an ongoing process
He cites research from PWC, LexisNexis, Thomson Reuters and their own client surveys which point to the challenges that face law firms from an HR point of view. Indeed 3 in 5 law firms are concerned about talent and shortage and churn, and are consider it a barrier to their success.
He discusses organisations described as "Stay Firms" and "Go Firms" - firms who retain, and lose, talent. While acknowledging that remuneration plays a part in the success "Stay Firms," the focus on their broader value proposition sees them not only retain staff, but makes them more efficient with higher billable hours and better staff mental health and wellbeing.
And lawyers themselves are more vocal about what they want from work. A staggering 44% of lawyers measure their stress levels at between 8-10 out of 10 in an Advanced Legal survey. That, and a lack of progression and professional development is often the cause of staff leaving.
"When we drill into this, we're looking at a lack of mentorship and career guidance, a lack of promotion opportunities and the desire for greater on the job assistance. All of which can be described as performance management," says Hamza.
This discussion covers a lot of ground around the value and importance of creating a culture of performance, normalising goal setting and providing a constant feedback loop between employees and managers. For Hamza, part of the success of implementing such a cultural change is in the adoption of technology to drive through the change and support managers to ask the right questions and enable those types of conversations.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The first Today's Wills and Probate podcast on 2024, and the start of series 3, explores the perennial question on the minds and lips of most businesses... what do clients really want?
A report from Law Firm Marketing Club does just that. Now in it's 4th year, "What Clients Want" is an extensive piece of research which asks consumers of legal services what they want from their law firm; from first introduction through to matter completion.
With 4 years' worth of data behind them, the report is now able to start tracking consumer expectations and trends over time. Once of the really interesting elements of the report is the breakdown by demographic of respondents and the changing expectations of consumers of legal services.
Client care and return business feature strongly in the report. 53% of respondents have used a law firm more than once but of those, a staggering 41% have not returned to the firm they'd used previously, but had moved to use a different firm. Read into that what you want but it's one of many statistics Clare shares in the course of the discussion.
The report delves in to the experience of using a law firm and in particular first impressions and onboarding. It is interesting to note that the way in which consumers select firms is changing, with a focus on sustainability and ESG higher on younger people's agenda.
There are plenty of lessons for firms as Clare shares details of responses to the extensive survey. The report is sponsored by Moneypenny and available via the Law Firm Marketing Club website
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
"Two nations divided by a common language" is a phrase often connected to the relationship between the UK and the USA; but it could be just as easily applied to England and Scotland at times, especially when it comes to legal matters like the probate process.
Joining Today's Wills and Probate Podcast host David Opie to de-mystify Scottish probate is Mike Davis, Managing Director of My Probate Partner, a Edinburgh based service described as helping "navigate all the challenges and pitfalls of going through the probate process in Scotland."
Mike describes the probate process in Scotland as "bonkers" and identifies a number of distinct differences between the systems in England & Wales, and in Scotland. Most obviously is the terminology which can cause confusion, and Mike goes on to explore some of the procedural quirks in Scotland.
Alongside language, geography plays a bit role in determining the speed of the process as executors must apply to the most local sheriff court of the deceased. In some cases this can mean applications are processed in hours... music to the ears of practitioners in England & Wales who currently face months of delays.
Moving on to discuss My Probate Partner Mike explains the origins of the business and how they are helping those going through the probate process in Scotland navigate the difficulties, emotions, and anxieties they face, especially at a time when they are often facing the bereavement themselves.
Throughout the podcast Mike provides insight into the key differences between the legal systems in Scotland, England and Wales.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Recorded in the week before the British Wills and Probate Awards 2023, this latest podcast explores the role faith plays in Yasmin Hoque's legal career. A practicing Muslim, Yasmin explores the way her faith has shaped her career to date firstly as a lawyer based in London, and later as the founder or AL-HQ Law & More, based in Southampton.
The discussion explores the importance her faith plays in her work; both in her local community and in the wider legal community where she has spent time educating peers on the practicalities of Islamic wills and Sharia-compliant wills.
A recent post on LinkedIn highlighted the role that alcohol plays at large scale events, and particularly at legal events, and the challenge that this presents to those choose to abstain from alcohol for religious, health or lifestyle reasons.
The post gathered a huge number of reactions and comments and was widely praised for raising awareness of a topic that can be divisive. As Yasmin explains, different people and religions have different tolerances of alcohol, and even within religion there are degrees of tolerance.
This is not to prevent others from having alcohol should they wish; and Yasmin is clear that there is no judgement on others. Rather the point is that event organisers should be better prepared to facilitate the religious, health and lifestyle choices of attendees. Indeed there is plenty of evidence to suggest that young people (18-24) are drinking less alcohol than ever before so we must be more open about those choices.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast welcomes Simon McCrum to discuss the contents of his latest book "The Perfect Lawyer" with host David Opie.
There isn't much Simon McCrum doesn't know about running a law firm having been there, done it, and got the t-Shirt. In this discussion Simon shares a little about his background and how he came to run the fastest growing law firms in the country before its acquisition.
He now shares his experience with other law firms as a management consultant and author of 2 books, "The Perfect Legal Business" and "The Perfect Lawyer," and through the course of the discussion Simon provides some fascinating insight into what he considers he did well, and what lessons he learnt along the way; all of which he includes in his books.
He describes how he encourages firms to find and use differentiators across their business and create a culture of buy in across the firm. "The ultimate differentiator is service, but the ultimate challenge is living that" says Simon. He encourages firms to take a long hard look at their business and ask themselves if they are truly offering a "Bentley service, for a Bentley price."
He moves on to discuss the content of "The Perfect Lawyer" in which he suggests the perfect lawyer is someone who has both pride in their own work and skills, and takes pride in, and understand their responsibilities to, the business; describing how "perfect lawyers" are nurtured by firms.
This insightful discussion with one of the most passionate and experienced professionals we've had on the podcast is a "must listen" for law firm leaders and aspiring leaders.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast welcomes Laurelo on to talk about the current challenges facing probate practitioners.
Michael speaks with host David about the origins of the business and his ambitions to support those going through the probate process. Describing their approach as "old school," Michael ensures all clients are seen face to face and talks about the importance of equipping clients for the harsh realities of probate, as much as it is important to be emotionally supportive.
Speaking about their own approach Michael is bullish, and not afraid to pull any punches when it comes to challenging the status quo. He cites Laurelo's success at The British Wills and Probate Awards 2022, where they were winners in the "Probate Provider of the Year - South" category as evidence that they are doing the right thing; and are shortlisted again in 2023 with the awards on 11th October.
Moving on to discuss delays and the impact on the industry, Michael describes the current situation as "shocking." "The courts aren't taking phone calls from those who are grieving like we are, daily" says Michael. "We try to manage expectations and advise clients it can take a minimum of 16 weeks... but there's no guarantee of that."
In the continued drive for transparency and consumer protection, educating the public on the wide availability of probate services is important, says Michael adding "it's important to keep on banging the drum about people having more options."
The podcast finishes with a couple of anecdotes about probate matters that the team have acted on which highlights the rich diversity of working in the probate industry.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this edition of the Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie speaks with Professional Standards Board member Nick Ash about plans to beef up their oversight of Society of Will Writers members.
Ahead of the Society of Will Writers (SWW) Conference in Lincoln on Monday 9th October Nick provides insight into the proposed changes to the Code of Practice Oversight and Governance and Complaints Procedures which are due to be implemented in 2024.
Despite what might be considered an enviable record, having expelled just 2 members in the last 2 years Ash describes the current powers of the PSB as bit like a “blunt stick.” Simply expelling members currently “doesn’t help the consumer… doesn’t help the member get better, (and) doesn’t help the society" he says.
The new powers will enable the PSB to widen the scope of their complaints investigations and will include mis-selling and misleading advertising, and individuals bringing the profession into disrepute going forward. A 3 tier disciplinary structure will also be introduced with individuals and firms named and shamed where there is failure to engage with remedial action.
The discussion also explores the recent launch of the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into will writing and pre-paid probate, which raises concerns around misleading advertising, unfair contract terms and pressure selling and coercion.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast welcome Ian Bond on to discuss the life and times of a private client practitioner in 2023. Ian is a partner in the Lifestyle and Estate Planning Team at Irwin Mitchell having joined in January 2023 and is a vocal advocate for the private client profession.
Recorded in July 2023 Ian shares a little bit about his background and roles at Irwin Mitchell, The Law Society, where alongside his long standing position on the Wills and Equity Committee he also sits on the probate services user group, and provides tutoring for STEP.
Ian reveals that he joined law school with the ambition of being an employment lawyer but soon realised that private client was the right place for him. He says
"The best thing about being a private client lawyer is you never know what you're going to get... you know you make a difference in (people's) lives. They walk away with peace of mind."
Although the podcast was recorded before the announcement of the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into the law pricing of will writing services, the discussion explores costs the issue of balancing costs against client expectations.
The discussion moves on to the impact, and value, of technology; whether that's as a tool for meeting with clients and taking instructions or as an integrated part of the drafting process. Technology is exciting for consumers and the private client industry, says Ian, citing the increasing desire of clients to consume legal services on their terms; in a way that works for them.
The almost inevitable impact of technology is the pressure that pricing comes under as the potential for delivering quicker, more efficient services reduces overheads... however, Ian warns, it's important to be clear about our differentiators. Our ability to get the job done, our experience working on similar matters previously, we can help you achieve these outcomes.
An insightful and entertaining discussion, Ian shares his own thoughts on the direction of travel for private client law in 2023 and beyond.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Following a Summer break the Today's Wills and Probate podcast returns to discuss the challenge of generating new and consistent leads sources for will writing and legal business. A perennial challenge, host David Opie is joined by social media lead generation specialist Matt Jones, founder of Shed Social a digital lead generation agency to discuss the issue.
The key to lead generation, say Matt, is identifying where your clients are spending time and target those locations. When it comes to digital he explains that 90%+ of people in the UK are using a Meta platform like Facebook Instagram, WhatsApp up to 10 times a day, so it is a great place to find your customers.
Facebook dominates the 50+ age bracket compared to other social media outlets. It has in recent years become a very complicated place to advertise but there are rewards if you can harness it and advertise well on the platform, he adds.
Through the course of the podcast Matt explains his philosophy of 5 key elements to lead generation and growing your firm, and how organisations and implement them effectively:
- Visibility
- Accessibility
- Appeal
- Responsiveness
- Profitability
He also discussed the opportunity presented by the proliferation of groups now available on Facebook and how to approach the opportunity to generate leads through them consistently, especially when the time element individuals invest in engaging with the group can be difficult to manage.
This insightful discussion from an expert in online lead generation provides some helpful insight for businesses of all shapes and sizes on how to grow your lead pipelines and convert more customers.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
If we thought branding was about logos and then we’re absolutely wrong... it's about reputation, meaning, culture, service and so much more according to Matt Davies who joins host David Opie on the latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast.
Matt lives and breathes branding and his enthusiasm for the subject comes across through this discussion which provides some useful pointers on what brand is, why it is important and where do we start?
Pulling no punches Matt challenges organisations and law firms to think about why they exist beyond making money.
"Nobody is interested in you wanting to make money," says Matt. "You may personally be in business to make money but your brand and business and what it's trying to do in the world needs to have a narrative and a story to position itself in such a way that is effective in its market place."
Your brand should be
- a story or narrative that your customers find interesting and exciting
- something that your people can buy into and rally around
"And here’s the kicker" adds Matt, "it has to be true and it has to be authentic, because in today’s world you’ll get found out."
In his work Matt asks 4 key questions of organisations.
- What do you exist beyond making money
- Who do we serve
- How should we show up for them
- What are we offering them
Throughout this insightful discussion Matt provides plenty of useful pointers ad tips organisations and law firms can take away and implement in their own business.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast is an exclusive interview with Dan Garrett, founder and CEO of Farewill.
In an unusual twist of fate, an experience at a Japanese residential home plunged Dan into the world of wills and probate and in 2015 he launched Farewill with the ambition to make the process of dealing with death simpler.
The discussion with host David Opie explores the early years of Farewill and the journey they have been on. They discuss taking on external funding, growth and growing pains, the plans for Farewill in the short and medium term and the direction of travel for the industry in the coming years.
Dan also tackles the negativity surrounding Farewill from some corners of the wills and probate sector, pointing to client feedback as the ultimate indicator of whether they are doing things the right way.
“People don't necessarily like what we do, and they might disagree with it.
But customer reputation stands for itself. Reputation with our partners stands for itself, and the North Star for us isn't what our competitors think of us. It's what our customers think of us.”
In 2023 Farewill boasts a Trustpilot score of 4.9/5 from over 14,000 reviews and has been recognised by The British Wills and Probate Awards and the Good Funeral Awards. Poignantly for Dan, Farewill has raised over £800m for charity through legacy pledging which he describes as a "really meaningful contribution."
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Scott Walker, a consultant solicitor with Richard Nelson LLP is the latest guest on the Today's Wills and Probate Podcast, joining host David Opie to discuss the ups and downs of his working life as a private client practitioner.
Scott is one of a new breed of consultant lawyers who effectively work for themselves whilst operating under the umbrella of a larger legal brand. It's a hybrid way of working and enables individuals to strike out on their own, with some of the security of working for a firm with associated marketing, technology, admin and indemnity insurance support.
Scott shares what a day in the life of his varied practice looks like; and provides some insight into his productivity tips, working in person and on zoom/teams, and how he is managing client expectations around using technology, delays and unbundling legal services.
Technology is a growing part of the legal profession and Scott explores how he is adapting to using more technology as a practitioner and how he is adapting his practice to cater better for clients.
Asked about what he enjoys about his work, Scott discusses his love for helping people make important life choices and supporting them through that decision making process. Pressed on what he doesn't enjoy Scott explains that issues outside of his control which impacts the client, like delays, make the maintenance of the client relationship tricky. He also raises the issue of sales and how he has had the change his mindset from being in an employed role where the work is largely provided by the firm, to being more reliant on his own efforts to generate work.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast host David Opie is joined by Exizent co-Founder Aleks Tomczyk.
In 2018-19 Aleks and Nick Cousins, his fellow co-Founder of what was to become Exizent, went through their own bereavement journeys and found the whole process frustrating. They also had friends of theirs in similar situations, sparking the idea for launching the business.
Indeed, one of the unexpected consequences of launching the business and sharing their experience is that many of the team have been attracted to working for Exizent because of their own experiences going through bereavement and probate. "It really speaks to our purpose," says Aleks, "of making the probate process easier to navigate."
The ultimate vision for Exizent is to improve the administration of the probate process and connect the 3 key stakeholders together, reducing time and improving accuracy
- individuals who have lost family members and beneficiaries
- legal service and financial services professionals who support the first group
- institutions - anyone with information about the estate
In the discussion Aleks shares details of the work being done by the team and is heartened to see legal services more actively looking at innovation and technology adoption. As an "API-first" organisation Aleks touches on the way Exizent is working on partnering with other organisations to create less friction in the probate process.
Aleks finishes with an impassioned plea to the community to work together to improve the experience for those who go through probate and which in turn will improve the lives of practitioners and institutions.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
On the latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie welcomes Clive Ponder on to discuss his journey from miner to running one of the largest estate planning businesses in the country.
CTT Group, formerly Countrywide Tax and Trust Corporation, now spans technology and software, accountancy and conveyancing alongside its estate planning business. The Group celebrates a milestone 20 year birthday in 2023 and is Headline Sponsor of The British Wills and Probate Awards.
Never short of an opinion, Clive shares his thoughts second careers, building and growing businesses, technology, regulation, and the current state of the industry. Clive has also been a vocal supporter of the will writing community and championed the industry against those who might consider it to be a "second class industry."
He also reflects on 20+ years in the profession, recounting his own initiation ("the training was 2 hours before I went on my first appointment") and the progress made. He is a supporter of greater regulation, but pointedly makes the distinction between regulation and reserved activities.
"(the definition of) reserved activities is a joke, there's no other words to describe. A solicitor can be drafting a lifetime trust on a Friday, join Tesco's, same skills, but cannot draft that trust on a Monday morning. That defies logic."
Ever an advocate of technology, and evangelical of the impact it has had on his business, asked what the private client community can do today that will change their business and improve their service to clients, he offers two pieces of advice.
"Get rid of paper, and take on digital... manage clients and risk more effectively.... The solutions clients of today want are different from the client of 50 years ago."
Listen in to hear more of this interesting discussion with one of the will writing community's most well known individuals.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The latest episode of The Today's Wills and Probate podcast considers the tricky challenge of generating leads and converting sales de organisations across the legal services spectrum.
Joining host David Opie is Adam Stevens of The Law Superstore and Reallymoving.com. Experts in lead generation, the platforms generate thousands legal service enquiries each month.
Adam shares his insight and experience with developing on and offline marketing channels to direct spend most effectively and achieve as high a return on investment as possible.
The Law Superstore and Reallymoving.com platforms provide a range of comparisons for consumers, one of which is inevitably price. However, and somewhat reassuringly for practitioners, Adam suggests that the trends they see through the platform indicate that price is not always the primary driver of lead generation.
"60% of the time people don't go with the cheapest quote" says Adam. Speed remains a critical part of success, adds Adam, with feedback from users suggesting that the first firm to call and build that rapport with the enquiry has the highest chance of success.
A lot of firms have been used to winning work organically, in that it comes to them rather than having to go out and find it. In an increasingly competitive space like Wills and Probate there will be times when firms will need to be more proactive and ultimately success is built on strong processes suggests Adam. Follow up in the first instance and then build a way to nurture the leads if they are not quite at the right point in time to buy right now.
Adam also provides some useful reminders on what tools organisations should be considering as part of their wider marketing mix to showcase their services, expertise and success; including networking events, social media, awards, review platforms and much more.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this latest episode of The Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie is joined by The National Will Register's Astrid Bowser to discuss the release of a wide-reaching report into the culture of Will writing in 2023.
The report follows a survey commissioned by The National Will Register into public perception about Will writing and what plans people had in place for their loved ones once they have died.
The key takeaways from "The National Wills Report - The Culture of Will Writing in the UK in 2023" suggest that less than 50% of people have written a Will. That percentage increases slightly in higher age brackets, but one of the surprising elements to the report is that 42% of people have not discussed what should happen upon their passing with their loved ones.
The report also looks at wider demographics around age, family status and location; as well as exploring attitudes toward the lack of engagement around writing a Will. 1 in 20 respondents suggested that writing a Will was simply too morbid to think about!
The rise of online Will writing is also laid bare by the report with 16% of respondents indicating they had used an online Will writer to prepare their Will.
Astrid shares the results of the report and discusses some key takeaways for firms when it comes to thinking about the sentiment across demographics and how that informs law firm's and Will writer's communications strategies.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The True Worth Expert Vanessa Ugatti joins host David Opie on the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast.
Vanessa works with professional services individual and organisations to help them understand their true value, and explain that better to clients to help them get paid their true worth, unapologetically.
In her work Vanessa sees individuals and organisations constantly undercharging, underestimating, discounting, over servicing; she explains how a lack of confidence in conveyancing value leads to firms making less money and working too hard.
She explains how there is a tendency to be fearful about charging for our work. While Vanessa doesn't give away all her secrets, during the podcast she provides some insight into her 9 Part True Worth Methodology; explaining how one of the key elements is helping people become more consciously aware of the value they're providing.
"We take for granted that we are experts," Vanessa explains. "It's easy because we've got 10-20 years experience." She suggests we need to "take charge" when it comes to pricing. "Modern lawyers have to be commercially aware which has a positive knock on effect on profitability and staff wellbeing because they're being paid fairly for the worth they do," she adds.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
The latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast welcomes Emily Robertson, Associate from Burgess Mee, to talk about the impact her job has on her mental health and wellbeing.
Emily is part of the private client team dealing with Wills, Trusts, Probate and Court of Protection. She explains that each of the disciplines bring with them their own individual challenges not just from the point of view of the practice of law, but from an emotional point of view.
Often described as a "distress purchase" Emily discusses her experiences of dealing with clients at what is often a very difficult time in their lives, whether it's losing a loved one, or dealing with a loss of capacity.
She shares her thoughts on when clients might need guidance on the timing of moving legal process forward and shares how she will always ask her clients how involved they want her to be. She discusses how her job impacts her relationships at work and at home; and how important her "work family" are in supporting her.
But it's not all doom and gloom. Emily is passionate about her role and enjoys building relationships with people, being human with clients, breaking down stereotypes, and not taking on the grief of clients; sometimes, says Emily, you have to have a little bit of "gallows humour."
In an interesting discussion, Emily shares some of her learnings and coping mechanisms she has developed to deal with the stresses and strains of private client work.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
This episode of The Today's Wills and Probate podcast sets out to myth-bust the relationship between probate practitioners and legacy managers; who up until more recent years might have been described as "frenemies!"
A profession who deliver £3bn in charity revenues and enable the final wishes of somebody to be fulfilled is a rewarding career and joining this latest episode to discuss this conundrum is Matthew Lagden, CEO of legacy professional membership body The Institute of Legacy Management (ILM). The ILM champions best practice, training and collaboration across it's membership.
Matthew discusses the role of ILM in creating the vocation of Legacy Management as a dedicated role within charities and in fostering better relationships in the probate community. The property price boom of 80's and 90's saw legacy income rise dramatically (around 50-70% of the average estate will be made up of residential property) requiring proper administration and process.
There is also a recognition that legacy income plays a critical part of charity funding, highlighted by the pandemic which saw legacy income drop c.10% against a backdrop of 30% reductions in other funding streams.
Matthew shares his experiences of leading the organisation for the past 5 years; the highs and lows and what his hopes for the industry are. And leaves us with his top tips on how probate and legacy management professionals can work most effectively together.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
Michael Culver, founder and director of Culver Law and Chair of Solicitors for the Elderly joins Today's Wills and Probate Podcast host David Opie to discuss his experiences of setting up Culver Law in 2021.
Michael shares his motivations for setting up on his own and the the ups and downs of the set up process, from applying for professional indemnity insurance, writing the business plan, submitting his application for registration (and answering the subsequent queries!) and challenges with his client account.
And that's all before he even started!
Michael moves on to share his thoughts on the progress being made around digital and the impact that will have on the profession. He acknowledges that there will be teething issues but suggests that the direction of travel is positive.
He has been vocal around ensuring there are clear checks and balances when it comes to the digital journey to protect those most vulnerable from exploitation, and while progress is being made, there is still work to be done here.
The discussion also reflects on the changes in the industry beyond technology and how this will impact private client practice over the next 12-18 months. The conversation considers the LPA bill, the impact of more applications to the Court of Protection (and providing deputies with greater powers) also flags the tax changes which will lead to some interesting planning work for practitioners.
Part 1 of "How to set up a law firm" will be followed by a part 2 later in year as another recent law firm founder joins the Today's Wills and Probate podcast to share their experiences.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this latest episode of Today's Wills and Probate host David Opie is joined by Giles Wilson Founder and Managing Partner Melinda Giles.
With over 25 years experience in private client, Melinda brings a wealth of experience to a discussion which considers her expertise in financial abuse and associated issues with capacity; alongside reform and her own challenges running a successful law firm.
For Melinda, financial abuse is simply "not well understood" by the powers that be.
"Financial abuse is a soft word for stealing, it is a crime. Taking money from people who are vulnerable and it is often tied up with emotional abuse"
says Melinda, who passionately explores the topic in the course of the discussion.
In her role at The Law Society she is currently working with the Wills and Equity Committee on LPA reform, which she describes as needed, but "risky," saying that there is a balance between the diminishing advice around LPA's and the focus on the digitisation.
"None of us are against modernisation, (the current LPA process) requires improvement, but it is the risk to the vulnerable that is of concern."
She also discusses
- lobbying government to improve court services
- considering the wider opportunities with the extension of digital signing of wills
- the recognition of digital assets in estate planning.
In her own role as Managing Partner of Giles Wilson she discusses the changing nature of managing a law firm. In July 2022 the firm established an Employee Ownership Trust, empowering the staff to play their part in the ownership and future of the firm.
And she discusses the ever-evolving challenges in private client work and the need to be prepared for increased "unbundling" of legal services.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this latest episode of the Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie is joined by National Association of Licensed Paralegal's (NALP) former CEO and now Patron Amanda Hamilton
Starting out running paralegal training programmes in the 90's, at a time when the term "paralegal" was starting to be used more regularly in the UK following its migration from America, Amanda took on the role as CEO of NALP in the mid 2000's.
NALP's objective is to champion the role of the paralegal and better prepare them for the world of legal, with a range of qualification available for members. It has also worked to shape the role of the paralegal in the UK, moving from it being a stepping stone for law graduates, to being a recognised profession in its own right, with an expertise and skillset to match.
Amanda discusses how the challenges presented by the legal aid reforms since 2013 has paved the way for paralegals to play their role in providing access to justice for many people who simply can't afford alternative legal representation.
And they can play an increasingly important role in many law firms. Amanda calls on firms to take a more diverse view of who can be a paralegal (it's not just a law graduate looking for their first role), and the positive role they can play in the firm (ensuring the do not cross the line into reserved activities.)
For Amanda there is a commercial opportunity for firms as well where paralegal can undertake matters traditionally done by solicitors, and continue to bill at a reasonable rate, creating the opportunity for solicitors and partners to take on more complex and lucrative work.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this first Today's Wills and Probate podcast of 2023 host David Opie is joined by founder of Finders International, Danny Curran.
In 2022 Finders International celebrated its 25th Anniversary and in this podcast Danny discusses the challenges of running a business that has seen so much change since 1997, the changing face of genealogy services and what he thinks the future holds.
The world is a much smaller place as a result of social media and the internet and has had a monumental impact on the way genealogical searches are conducted. Societal change has also had an impact . Falling marriage rates, cohabitation, blended families all impact the way genealogists go about doing their job in 2023.
He shares anecdotes of situations where verifying family trees has resulted in establishing beneficiaries in far flung places and ensuring estates are properly distributed.
Danny also discusses his experience of being involved in the long-running BBC programme Heir Hunters which introduced genealogy and genealogy services to a new audience.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie is joined by Arken.legal CEO Dave Newick.
A "technologist" in an industry where technology adoption has traditionally been slow, Dave shares his thoughts on whether the private client is ready for a technology revolution, or whether it will be more of an evolution.
Add in to the mix a host of wider demographic and economic considerations including
- the generational change occurring in legal services as long standing baby-boomers and Gen-X solicitors retire
- law firm consolidation
- a period of slower economic growth with a focus on process efficiency where research has shown up to 50% of a solicitors time can be spent re-keying data
- the largest transfer of wealth in history with $38.8tn transferring from baby-boomers and Gen-X to Millennials and Gen-Z before 2060
and the industry is ripe for change.
Dave discusses his thoughts on the changing dynamics of the industry, the way technology adoption is being driven by younger members of the profession, and how important being "technology-enabled" is as a recruitment tool for law firms.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie is joined by Aubrey Dawson, Managing Director of Dawson's Auctioneers.
Aubrey shares his experiences and expertise as an auctioneer along some wonderful stories about house finds. They do say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and in one example Aubrey shares the story of some rather grotesque plates which turned out to be very sought after! Valuing property is an art and Aubrey outlines a few of the popular items that Dawsons often come across, and discusses how they go about ascribing value ahead of the auction.
Aubrey also discusses the changing face of auctioneering where popular television shows have popularised the process and online auctions have grown in popularity, when you think about websites like eBay. He also is keen to debunk the myth that if you're caught scratching your nose by the auctioneer you can end up bidding for something you didn't mean to!
Proper valuation is key part of the probate process and Aubrey is a passionate advocate of ensuring the value of an estate is maximised for the benefit of the beneficiaries.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this special edition of the Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie is joined by WillAid Chair Jonathan Jacques and Campaign Director Peter de vena Franks to discuss WillAid month 2022.
For the month of November, WillAid promote the opportunity for consumers to have a their wills written by a WillAid supporting law firm, and in lieu of paying the firm for the service, they instead donate the money to WillAid.
Peter and Jon discuss the background to WillAid and the important role it plays for the 9 member charities, raising over £22m since its inception in 1988. They also discuss how WillAid continues to create more appointments than it can fully service with its existing supporters.
While each appointment is primarily aimed at creating a Will or Mirror Wills for those enquiring, firms have the opportunity to discuss the wider estate planning needs of the client with WillAid keen to highlight the wider benefits to firms who take part by being introduced to a host of new clients with a range of legal needs.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this latest podcast Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie is joined by RICS Surveyor Bill Wilkinson to discuss property valuations and imparts his expertise on how important professional "red book" valuations are when taking into consideration the tax implications.
In the podcast Bill discusses the difference between a Surveyors and an estate agents valuation. He outlines how he goes about valuing property and the considerations that go into establishing property value; a challenge he acknowledges is made all the more difficult given the fluctuations in property market pricing over the past 3 years.
And when it comes to district valuer negotiations he suggests that a "regulated" valuation provides an extra layer of security and surety for executors, especially
In the last 12 months Bill reports an increase in HMRC enquiries owing to 1) the need for HMRC to recoup money and taxes given the budget deficit and 2) the volatility in the market creates scope for higher and lower valuation; and provides some thoughts on how best to deal with such negotiations.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.
In this latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie speaks with Anglia Research's Joe Lander about the pitfalls of missing beneficiaries, and how practitioners might best use resources available to deliver the best possible client service.
Joe discusses the options open to practitioners and draws on 20 years experience in the insurance industry to discuss the "who, what, how where and why" of Missing Beneficiary Insurance (MBI)
Over the course of the 20 minute discussion Joe de-mystifies the process of searching for missing beneficiaries and de-bunks some misunderstood elements of Missing Beneficiary Insurance, outlining when it is, and importantly isn't, appropriate to consider it.
Subscribe today to the Today's Wills and Probate podcast to hear all the latest news and view across the wills and probate industry.
The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk.
In this latest episode of The Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie is joined by Director General of the Society of Will Writers Anthony Belcher.
Recorded just before the latest announcement by the Legal Services Board that there is no intention to review unregulated legal services at this time the podcast explores what role the SWW plays in the life and times of the sector, and what regulation might look like for will writers were it to come into force.
Anthony also discusses the longevity, success and failures of SWW in its 28th year and what the future holds before the conversation turns to how the organisation has coped since the sad passing of founder Brian McMillan. Brian was a colossus of the will writing world and continues to be very much missed.
A "not to be missed" episode available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk
For probate practitioners the sale of property left as part of an estate can be complex. Lengthening timescales, beneficiary conflict, property clearances are just some of the often arduous parts of the task.
In this latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie speaks with Property Solutions Group's Managing Director Barry Mattock and Group Business Director Michael Edwards to discuss the intricacies of dealing with probate property and share some of their most memorable stories of dealing with the weird and wonderful.
Alongside stories of koi carp and unusual memorabilia, Barry and Michael share their insight into how the business came to be and some of the lessons they've learnt along the way, as well as discussing current goings on in the probate property market and things practitioners need to know about what's coming down the track.
Property Solutions Group (formerly Executor Solutions) are returning as Headline Sponsors of the 2022 British Wills and Probate Awards, held as a hybrid ceremony as the appropriately named Grand Hotel in Birmingham on 20th October 2022.
The Today's Wills and Probate Podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider and also at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk.
In this latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast David Opie is joined by the CEO of Probate Protect, Chris Cauvain.
Chris discusses the professional, and personal, journey which has led him to setting up a prepaid probate business alongside his business partners.
With the regulation of funeral planning nearly upon us, is prepaid probate the next "wild west" of the probate world, as described a national newspaper recently?
Or is it, as Chris and his team believe, an opportunity to learn the lessons of the funeral planning industry and better protect consumers while providing a much needed service?
How does prepaid probate throw off the stigma that seems to already be attached to it?
Listen to the latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast to find out...
In this latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast David Opie is joined by Tom Stansfield. Tom is well known to many in the wills and probate sector through his roles with membership body The Society of Will Writers, through to technology providers, most recently as Head of Growth at WillSuite.
This latest episode Tom and David discuss the importance of understanding how marketing is used across the whole, both internally and externally. The outline how it is important to appreciate the nuances of the legal sector when it comes to insourcing, or outsourcing, marketing, sharing some top tips on how to make the most of your marketing budget.
Alongside sharing his own thoughts, Tom turns the tables quizzing David on his views of the challenges facing legal professionals in the current climate.
Subscribe to the Today's Wills and Probate podcast on your preferred podcast provider or listen in via the Today's Wills and Probate website.
In this podcast, David Opie is joined by Louise Levene to discuss what wills and probate practitioners need to know about dealing with overseas assets.
In her role as International Asset Services Manager at Finders International, Louise knows first hand the pitfalls and challenges of dealing with overseas assets when somebody dies and explains in detail how seemingly innocuous assets can cause problems when it comes to probate.
Louise provides insight into how stocks and shares can end up in foreign jurisdictions, when and how practitioners might need support as part of the estate planning process, and shares her top tips dealing with the inclusion of overseas assets in the Will.
In this podcast David Opie is joined by Charlotte Ponder, Legal Director at CTT Group (formerly Countrywide Tax and Trust Corporation) and Chris Jones, Managing Director and ICON-UK to discuss the progress being made on the introduction of electronic signatures in legal services.
Both Charlotte and Chris are members of the Industry Working Group on Electronic Execution of Documents. and contributors to an interim report on the understanding and adoption of e-signatures in legal services.
In the course of the discussion Charlotte and Chris implore practitioners to invest in their own understanding of the "art of the possible" with digital signatures and encourage their adoption where appropriate; aware that regulation needs to catch up to enable us to fully take advantage of the opportunity.
Today's Wills and Probate is the industry leading daily news site for private client practitioners. Subscribe today to receive the weekly newsletter and more information about our upcoming podcasts: www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk
The Industry Working Group on eSignatures interim Report can be viewed here