The British Wills and Probate Awards, sponsored for the second year by CTT Group, will return to Manchester as plans for the seventh edition of the prestigious event ramp up. Discounted early bird entry, priced at £129 +VAT, will close on 24th May after which the rate will go up to £169 +VAT. Firms need only to have registered to benefit from the early bird rate; the deadline for final submissions is Friday 21st July 2024.
Organisers Today’s Media have today announced that magician and funny man Ben Hanlin will host the 2024 awards. Hanlin has appeared on television globally and was a contestant on ITV’s Dancing on Ice where he reached the semi finals. Since starring in ITV2 show “Tricked” in which he performed magic and pranks on celebrities and members of the public he has amassed over 2 million followers across his social media channels. He says his big passion is still performing live in front of audiences and his goal is always to make his shows funny, amazing and interactive. Hanlin replaces broadcaster Jennie Bond who has hosted the awards since they launched in 2018.
The event has been dubbed ‘the Oscars of the probate world’ with over 450 practitioners attending in Manchester, and a further 250 online, in 2023. The Kimpton Clocktower Hotel will again host the event, which is being held on 10th October 2024, and will again include a live stream for those unable to join in person. Firms can enter up to three categories per entry and this year a single category option (£89 +VAT) has been introduced for those only wishing to enter one category.
In its seventh year the team have refreshed many of the categories and criteria and introduced a number of new for 2024 categories to ensure The British Wills and Probate Awards remains as relevant in 2024 as it was in 2018.
Alongside returning favourites, including “Best Place to Work,” “Court of Protection Team of the Year,” and “One to Watch Practitioner of the Year” the 2024 ceremony introduces two new contentious and non-contentious Practitioner of the Year categories, a specialist “Tax and Trust Team of the Year” and has revamped the Will Writing and Solicitor Firm of the Year categories.
Enter The British Wills and Probate Awards 2024
2024 also sees the launch of a hugely important new category; “Wills and Probate Excellence,” sponsored by Arken.legal. The award, which will replace the “Today’s Wills and Probate Industry Champion”, embodies everything that Today’s Wills and Probate stands for as a news publication and everything The British Wills and Probate Awards was introduced to recognise; independence, integrity and a recognition of the incredible diversity of the profession. a category into which all the estate planning and solicitor categories will be entered, with the winner identified as being the cream of the crop.
Commenting on the overhaul of the categories, Today’s Media Managing Director David Opie says
“Seven years is a long time ago and it’s fair to say over that period private client work has evolved. If an event like The British Wills and Probate Awards remained static, it would very quickly become stale, and it wouldn’t reflect the incredible innovation the sector has gone through over the last seven years, or the work of the incredible professionals who deliver day in, day out, for their clients.
“It was a bit of case of “7 year itch!” We review the categories and criteria every year but this time it felt like it was more important than ever to account for the changing landscape of legal services and the role of the wills and probate community.”
Alongside CTT Group, a number of firms have already committed their support for the event with Exizent, Estatesearch, Fraser and Fraser, Ochresoft, Society of Willwriters, Institute of Legacy Management, LEAP, WillSuite, Finders International, Law Superstore, Anglia Research, BEST Foundation, Aviva, Simpler Law, Arken.legal and CLS Property Insight already confirmed as sponsors. For more information about sponsorship please contact Grace Beech on 0330 1000 839 or email grace.beech@todaysmedia.co.uk.
The British Wills and Probate Awards 2024 Categories
Best Use of Technology
Probate Research Firm of the Year
Estate Planning Consultant of the Year
*NEW* Private Client Practitioner of the Year
*NEW* Contentious Practitioner of the Year
Community & Charity Champions
Court of Protection Team of the Year
Contentious Wills & Probate Team of the Year – Large
Contentious Wills and Probate Team of the Year – Boutique
Legal Supplier of the Year
Estate Planning Firm of the Year – Large
Estate Planning Firm of the Year – Boutique
Legal Assistant of the Year
Probate Provider of the Year – North & Midlands
Probate Provider of the Year – South
Innovation & Transformation of the Year
Best Place to Work
*NEW* Tax and Trust Team of the Year
One to Watch Practitioner of the Year
Customer Service Champion
Private Client Firm of the Year – Large
Private Client Firm of the Year – Boutique
*NEW* Wills and Probate Excellence Award
