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 the Highly Commended Will Writing Firm of the Year, SLS Wills & More Ltd
About the Will Writing Firm of the Year Award
This award represents an exceptional Will Writing firm who has proven all round excellence on a national level within the practice area o Wills, Probate and Estate Management.
The winner of this award must:
- Be able to demonstrate extensive development and progress as a Will Writing firm within the last year, including, but not limited to: strategy, growth, financial performance, employee development, diversity and training
- Have evidence of active engagement with community and/or corporate initiatives
- Be able to demonstrate that they are operating in the best interests of the client and the profession.
SLS Wills & More Ltd were shortlisted alongside:
- Farewill (Winner)
- Thy Will Be Done (Highly Commended)
- Co-Op Legal Services
During the judging process, the judges decided that SLS Wills & More Ltd should be highly commended saying:
“SLS demonstrated a real passion for the business and her clients. A consistent and solid entrant.”
How did you feel being highly commended in the Will Writing Firm of the Year award this year?
I am ecstatic that SLS Wills and More Limited came Highly Commended. I only started the business in June 2017 and just to be shortlisted in the first place was a shock, so to be Highly Commended in this category was absolutely astounding
So, who are SLS Wills & More Ltd? What do you do?
The company is essentially me – I am a sole practitioner – I had 30 years experience in the sector before I started SLS Wills and More, working mainly within solicitor firms in East Kent. I provide a wide range of services from simple Wills to complex Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, pre-paid funeral plans, setting up trusts (where appropriate using SWW Trust Corporation), and I partner with Kings Court Trust to offer probate services to my clients. I wanted to provide a friendly caring service to my clients and visit them at home so that they feel comfortable talking about such complex topics.
How has your firm developed in the last 12 months and navigated the added complexity of the coronavirus pandemic?
Until May 2019 I ran my business part time, and so since then I have been full time and converted from sole trader to a limited company. I have also set up a Legacy in Wills scheme for small local charities to be able to benefit from potential legacy funding in the future. I also donate 10% of my charges to the client who includes a legacy to the charity now to help them out now as well.
As to the pandemic, it has not really made much difference for me, other than I was able to offer more appointments via video link, but I am finding that a lot of clients still prefer face to face. However, the video appointments does now mean that I can offer my services to clients who are not based in my locality if they would prefer to use my services.
What’s next on the cards for you?
One of my next goals is to be able to take on a trainee and help me build my business further, but I am not quite ready to do so yet. I am also looking to expand my Legacy in Wills scheme – I currently have just one charity signed up so this is commendation will help me to do this.
What advice would you give someone thinking of joining the Wills and Probate sector?
Make sure you have a mentor you can go to and bounce ideas off. I would also encourage people to become members of a regulatory body, such as the Society of Will Writers, STEP or the Institute of Professional Will-Writers, as parts of the sector are unregulated. If you are employed then make sure your employer is regulated in some way. Good initial training is essential as is the requirement to continually develop (CPD). Experience will help you to be able to ensure that you are providing the best possible service to your clients. It is important to be able to recognise that changes happen and do not keep doing things the way you were initially taught – find a better solution if you can, and embrace technology if you can as well.
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?
Until this year, I was not aware of the awards, but it is so important to recognise excellence as this will help drive standards and as part of the Society of Will Writers Professional Standards Board, I am passionate about raising standards so that we all deliver an excellent service to our clients at a time when they need it most. This year has been so difficult for so many people, not only our clients but for us as practitioners, the awards has provided a sense of our profession working together and so many of us have committed to continue providing our services to clients despite the pandemic. The awards have recognised this and have helped with giving good news at a time when it seems that there is only bad news.
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.
