Law firm Management Consultant, Simon McCrum, is on the judging panel for the upcoming British Wills and Probate Awards. In this interview, he discusses what sparked his interest in the sector, as well as outlining his thoughts on how Wills and Probate professionals could improve their service delivery.
Please could you provide us with an overview of your background and your current role?
I qualified as a solicitor in 1990 at full-service law firm Pannones but moved from fee-earning to leading teams across a range of work types. I was the firm’s Marketing Partner and Director of Business Development and was part of the firm’s Management Team too. I also started the Connect2Law network of law firms. In 2007, I became Managing Partner of Darbys Solicitors, which was again a full-service firm. The firm went from a turnaround situation to the fastest-growing law firm in the country. In 2016, Darbys was acquired by Knights Professional Services Limited and I exited to set up McCrum & Co, offering Management Consultancy for law firms. Throughout my management and management consultancy careers, I have been a huge supporter of Private Client teams and work to place them at the centre of a pro-active care programme for all clients of all teams in a law firm.
What initially sparked your interest in the sector?
I think anyone listening to what a Private Client lawyer can do for a family, and what the costs, delays, and traumas will be for a family if they haven’t got their affairs in order, cannot fail to realise that real value can be extended to clients by the Private Client team. Both my wife and I now each have a will and two LPA’s in place, and we feel extremely happy to have done so. I am evangelical about this, as it helps the clients and it is a real business opportunity for law firms.
How do you think professionals in the Wills and Probate sector could improve their service delivery?
There are some “soft” areas that solicitors can improve on. A main one is that I don’t think firms should “sell wills”. They should instead “extend care”. In more granular terms, I think these are very personal documents and that questionnaires sent by post don’t really help the client, and often they don’t help the firm as they sit waiting to be filled in.
As a judge of the British Wills and Probate Awards, what will you be looking for in a winner?
I will be putting the clients at the centre of my thinking. How are they being put in a better position, with minimum inconvenience, but in a way that is profitable for the firm?
How important do you think it is to recognise achievement in the sector?
This sector is hugely important. I don’t think the world yet grasps how important it is to us all.
The British Wills and Probate Awards will take place on the 18th October at The Palms Conservatory, Ardencote, where the winners will be announced and rewarded with a sumptuous gala dinner.
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