• March 28, 2024
 What’s worse than losing the World Cup semi-final?

What’s worse than losing the World Cup semi-final?

Seeing the reactions from around the country when Kieran Trippier’s freekick looped over the wall and slotted into the net against Croatia on Wednesday night, there will be heart felt sorrow for the England players, coaches and fans at not making it to the World Cup final.

I did read an article though from the SWW Trust Corporation giving weight to there being things far worse than being knocked out of the competition and it got me thinking.

Before the competition, the England team would have considered reaching the semi-final as a great achievement and are likely to bounce back with vigour and heart. Besides, we’ve still got the 3rd place play-off to come. The truth is – it’s not the end of the world… and people have got much more serious things going on.

Being in our industry and as a self-regulatory body we receive hundreds if not thousands of calls from members of the public who have lost documents, confidence in a Will writer or worse, lost a loved one.

Our appeal therefore goes out to the profession. We know that there are bad apples out there and we’d rather no one bit into one. As a professional you no doubt put the needs of the client and suitability of the products or services at the forefront ahead of huge margins and commissions, right?

In the absence of statutory regulation, adherence to a fair and well-structured Code of Practice and the regulation imposed by the SWW is the next best thing and provides an element of protection, security and confidence for the client.

That’s why the SWW use words like dependable, honest and trustworthy. These are things that we expect from our members and on the whole, they deliver. Where members are found wanting, we will work with them to ensure that our profession delivers on the expectations placed upon it by other professionals, clients and that of society.

If you’re unregulated and would like a discussion about what our form of self-regulation looks like, then give us a call on 01522 68 78 88.

Which side are you on?

This article was submitted to be published by The Society of Will Writers as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills & Probate. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills & Probate.

The Society of Will Writers

https://www.willwriters.com/

The Society of Will Writers (SWW) is a non-profit making self-regulatory organisation that seeks to protect the public and serve the interests of those who are active professionals in the Will Writing and Estate Planning field, as well as the upkeep of advancement, education, and ethical standards within the profession. Founded in 1994, the SWW has grown to a membership of over 1700 estate planning professionals across the UK, Europe and further afield in places such as Asia and Africa, each championing our standards and enabling the public access to high-quality Will Writing and Estate Planning services.

The main goals of the SWW are:

  • To promote to the public at large the real need and sense in having a valid will.
  • To act as a self-regulatory body by vetting practitioners through stringent membership requirements, proficiency standards and ongoing training.
The SWW is proud to be one of the frontrunning organisations where steering the profession is concerned, regularly meeting with other regulators and industry stakeholders to ensure that our members voices are heard, and needs are matched. Being a member of the SWW also grants access to exclusive benefits such as unlimited technical support when you’re in need of help, bespoke PII cover available only to SWW members, a web listing through the Find a Member section on our website, and discounts on both our and selected partner’s products and services. SWW Members also have access to regional groups, ongoing training, and an annual conference, all designed to enhance their knowledge and create excellent networking opportunities.

The designatory letters of the SWW’s membership grades:

  • SWW (Affiliate)
  • MSWW (Full)
  • ASWW (Associate)
  • FSWW (Fellow)
  • SWW (Companion)
  • SWW (Honorary)
Each membership grade denotes its holders experience and is an assurance to the public that the Will Writer or Estate Planner that they are engaging with is trained, insured and SWW code compliant. We always encourage members of the public to ask their Will Writer if they are a Member of the SWW, and any Member would be happy to present their membership ID card as proof. The public can also rely on checking any Member’s credentials by contacting SWW head office.

Meet Sam Smith – Head of Membership

Sam manages the membership team here at the SWW. He is responsible largely for Member recruitment and handling enquiries from Members. As well as liaising with Society partners and third parties, he also looks after our 20 regional chairs. Sam is always on hand at SWW events to meet and greet. In Sam’s downtime, he enjoys going to the gym, restoring his camper van, and playing golf. Sam is the point of contact between the SWW and Todays Wills & Probate. If you have any enquiries, you can contact Sam by emailing him at sam.s@willwriters.com or calling the office on 01522 687 888 and he would be more than happy to assist.