On Thursday 22 October 2020, professionals from across the wills and probate sector came together to celebrate the successes and achievements of the industry is what has been a challenging year, at the British Wills and Probate Awards 2020.
The awards, which was back for it’s third year, took to the virtual stage and was hosted by ex-Royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, alongside headline sponsor Arken.legal (UK), and champagne sponsor Executor Solutions.
500 people watched the winning organisations take the crown this year. The full list of winners is available here. The online event is available to watch here.
Let’s hear from Probate Research Firm of the Year Award winner, Finders International
About the Probate Research Firm of the Year Award
The probate research firm of the year will demonstrate excellence in this iche area of the market. The successful firm will show how they put their expertise to effective use and provide an exceptional commitment to their clients and profession.
In this challenging area of private client work the judges will be looking for evidence of results-driven excellence with a team-based approach; acknowledging that a diverse mix of team members bring a variety of skills and experience to the team to produce a winning combination.
The winner of this award must:
- Have a proven track record of success in probate research
- Demonstrate its credentials and show a transparent and clear approach to pricing and to explaining costs and fees to clients
- Demonstrate the organisation works collaboratively to deliver the service, including a short description of a case undertaken in the last 12 months demonstrating the mix of skills available across the team
- Can cite evidence of client satisfaction with the service provided.
Finders International were shortlisted alongside:
- Fraser and Fraser (Highly Commended)
- Trace Inline
During the judging process, the judges decided that Finders International were the worthy winners saying:
“A very strong all round submission with good supporting evidence of client satisfaction and business success.”
How did you feel winning the Probate Research Firm of the Year award this year?
We’re delighted to have won Probate Research Firm of the Year at the BWP2020 awards. 2020 has been a great year for Finders International, and this is the second such award that we have won this year, cementing our position as the go-to genealogy firm for all Wills & Probate Solicitors.
So, who are Finders International? What do you do?
Finders International was established in 1997 and we now have over 110 staff. Our emphasis is on providing a high quality, prompt and efficient service to our clients in the Private and Public sectors, and the beneficiaries we locate. We have offices in London, Edinburgh & Dublin and a global network of researchers with specialist in-house international researchers. We are founder members of the International Association of Professional Probate Researchers (www.iappr.org) a self-regulatory body comprising elite international probate research firms.
For Private Client solicitors, we provide a wide range of services from tracing heirs and verifying family trees on testate and intestate matters, to dealing with complex overseas asset matters, overseas bankruptcy searches, and missing will searches. In addition we provide support to Court of Protection teams by conducting research for Statutory Will Applications and we also provide a range of indemnity insurances https://www.findersinternational.co.uk/our-services/private-client/
How has your firm developed in the last 12 months and navigated the added complexity of the coronavirus pandemic?
Whilst this has been a hard year for so many, as a company we have adapted very well to remote working, and we are in one of the industries fortunate enough to have grown throughout this period. We are busier than ever, and committed to providing the same excellent service to our clients more so now than ever before.
What’s next on the cards for you?
This year we have concentrated on consolidating and doing what we do best, but we have also grown many areas of our business. We have recently launched a series of Probate Property Sales and Services https://www.findersinternational.co.uk/our-services/property/ and are looking to expand this area of our work.
What advice would you give someone thinking of joining the Wills and Probate sector?
Although it may not be the most glamorous choice of all the legal strands, I’d say it could well be the most rewarding on a personal ‘job satisfaction’ level. There’s a huge variety of situations, personalities, complexities in the probate world that all relates to very human situations. I would encourage any aspiring legal professional to consider the probate world – it may surprise you.
Why is the British Wills and Probate Awards event, which recognises excellence and highlights achievements in the industry, so important to the industry, especially this year?
2020 won’t be quickly forgotten by those of us who have lived through this bizarre time and, being an optimist, I think we can still draw some big positives from this year. I can only speak for my company of course, but we have learned a lot about home-working and the determination and adaptability of our incredible teams of case managers and researchers. Being recognised by the BWAP awards is especially meaningful this year too as it is the inaugural Award for Best Probate Research Firm. The BWAP Awards provide a much needed boost of morale and positivity and winning this year’s Award has done just that for Finders International.
Everyone at Today’s Wills and Probate congratulates all those who were shortlisted in this year’s awards.
More information about the British Wills and Probate Awards can be found here.
