National law firm Irwin Mitchell has said it is moving away from offering a volume wills service to third-party organisations and will instead “(refocus) its private client growth strategy towards complex advice” after a strategic internal review.
The firm said it had identified a 24% year -on-year increase in high-net-worth and international private client matters and the move away from its volume wills service, which predominantly provides free wills through third-party organisations, is consistent with Irwin Mitchell’s long-term strategy of focusing on complex legal work.
The strategy saw Irwin Mitchell sell its volume fast-track personal injury book in 2021, and more recently the disposal of debt recovery business Ascent and financial planning business IM Asset Management, to focus on core legal services.
The refocused private client group at Irwin Mitchell will continue to be one of the largest private client teams in the UK, with over 400 staff across family law, private client advisory, private client disputes, tax and compliance, residential property and immigration. Irwin Mitchell said the firm’s focus will now be on growing market share among affluent individuals in the UK across these core services.
To support these efforts Irwin Mitchell has recruited two new private client partners: rural property expert Rosanne Tweddle in North Yorkshire and high-net-worth estate planning adviser Paula Fry in Chichester. The firm has also announced 21 promotions across its private client team.
Ros Bever, managing partner of private client group said: “Our growth strategy focuses on resolving more complex legal issues for our clients whether individuals or businesses. With this in mind, and following a regular review, we have made the decision to move away from offering a volume wills service via other organisations and charities.
“Our private client team will remain one of the largest and specialist teams in the country and will continue to provide private will-writing, estate planning, tax, residential property, will, trust and estate disputes, immigration and family law services.
“We have an exceptionally talented team of lawyers who combine deep technical expertise with a genuine understanding of what matters most to our clients. The positive feedback we receive from our clients reflects the trust they place in our lawyers and the standard of service they experience.”
The growth of the private client market is forecast to grow by nearly £2 billion by 2028, Bever said, from £10.3 billion to £12 billion. The firm plans to leverage its private client presence in all the major UK cities, expanding operations in Brighton, Cardiff, Liverpool and Nottingham, as well as moving to a new office in London.
3 responses
Recently I had to chase them after a 5 week request for Deeds which was sent to their Crawley office – someone sent it to their Sheffield office and did nothing with it! They then told me they didn’t have them – I had evidence to the contrary and they managed to find them! The firm is too big to care about little people – I just hope smaller clients (who were the bread and butter of the smaller firms who merged) realise they can take their work to a more reasonably priced firm as many think they have to stay with them.
Such are the Layers of pyramid selling/multi level marketing they rely upon for “bulk” business like banks and industrial insurance companies of Edinburgh chasing to replace poor quality clients and the additional unprofitable work created due to lack or Risk Management, Leadership issues ( EG Scottish Widows Fund) and cover up of long term issues in non disclosure, deceit, and Fraud including embezzelment against employees, their employers – whilst claiming to be members of “Investors in People ” ( or their interpretation of “investment in people”, for their own purposes. I have the same issue with SWF who provided funds for a mortgage which remains unsourced by untrained managers who provided the funds with sources unknown – and as a consequence of manager or their employers who had no controls in place or compliant workflows to identify when cash taken by the Branch bank accounts from illicit areas and illegal dealings and leaving Head Office to correct the embezzlors activities from in my case 1990. We do not know how much was advanced due to nondisclosure by branch Manager who it seems reasonable to assume is covering up the reality of London Branch Debts and Corruptions – now in the hands of Evershed Sutherlands LLP most senior management
Yet another major example of the chaotic and marginally criminal example of the so called ‘Wills Business’ that the Law Society et al has allowed to rot purely for the legal profession’s pursuit of greed. Dear old Dickens had it right and the Public School boys and girls are carrying on as ever. What a corrupt society. !