In a series of Supporters in Focus pieces, we are thrilled to introduce our supporters of The British Wills and Probate Awards 2021
Alongside headline sponsor Executor Solutions we look forward to recognising achievement, highlighting progression and championing innovation.
Today we profile Will Writing Firm of the Year National sponsors Friends Legal.
We’re delighted to have Friends Legal on board with the fourth year of The British Wills & Probate Awards. First of all, tell us who you are and what you do
Friends Legal are an established Legal Services firm based in Scotland for over 10 years. We specialise in Personal Injury, Wills and Executry Services. Our ‘By Your Side’ service is a fair and empathetic way of helping you deal with the legal side of death. From your first Will, to Power of Attorney, Probate or Executry Services. We are committed to offering our clients transparent and fixed-fee pricing. Our mission is to provide fair and accessible professional services by a team of qualified Legal experts. Our friendly team are passionate about working alongside our clients through every stage of an emotional process.
What have Friends Legal been doing over the past 9 months since The British Wills & Probate Awards 2020?
We developed and officially launched our new service ‘By Your Side’ by Friends Legal. Our official launch was this year at the beginning of 2021 and we focused a lot of effort on introducing the service to the market. We launched our marketing campaign with STV with a series of TV adverts as well as many other multi-media marketing strategies. We expanded our team of Legal Experts, with Amy Wardrop joining us from Thompsons Solicitors to head the ‘By Your Side’ team as Senior Private Client solicitor.
What do you think is the biggest challenge the sector has faced over the last 12 months?
The urgent move to greater use of home working, new technologies and online document signing/witnessing caused by the pandemic has been challenging. Most tech focussed businesses were already utilising some of these technologies but the speed at which such systems had to be fully utilised over a short period of time was a challenge.
And what innovations were you seeing in the market?
The market seems to have been constantly innovating over the last few years, which is great. In our market – Scotland – innovation has been less prominent but there is a move towards greater use of technology for a more compelling customer journey together with focussed customer centric pricing models.
What are your predictions for the sector in 2022 and beyond?
Generally, the greater use of technology and less face to face customer meetings. The pandemic has educated all demographics into using platforms such as Zoom, FaceTime etc. This will continue. New, well-resourced entrants will make the market more competitive, easier to access and more customer focussed than it has ever been. Hopefully the language around life planning services will evolve to be more user friendly and less turgid for the customer.
Have you got any messages for the sector and our shortlisters?
Always focus on the customer! Sensitive service delivery is key, coupled with innovation that does not baffle but enhances the customer journey.
Thank you to Friends Legal for their support for The British Wills & Probate Awards 2020.
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