ACCA Withdraws From Legal Services Regulation Forming New Partnership

Premier Solicitors further expands with strategic acquisitions of National Will Writers and Carter Westwood

Premier Solicitors has announced the acquisition of National Will Writers and Carter Westwood, two established providers of estate planning services, for an undisclosed sum.

This strategic move reinforces Premier Solicitors’ position as a leading provider of probate and estate administration services in the UK.

As a full-service law firm, Premier Solicitors works with nearly 1,000 referring partners and processes thousands of probate applications annually. The firm continues to explore further merger and acquisition opportunities to expand its market presence. David Masterton, Chief Revenue Officer, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisitions, stating:

“We are thrilled to complete our first acquisitions of 2025. Andrew and his team at National Will Writers and Carter Westwood have built exceptional businesses over the past decade.

While Premier Solicitors does not operate as a high-volume will writing or estate planning firm and has no immediate plans to do so, the acquisition of approximately 70,000 clients, including a substantial volume of stored wills aligns with our strategy to enhance probate and estate administration inflows, and the subsequent associated ancillary services.

This acquisition strengthens our position as the second-largest probate provider in the UK by volume, behind Co-op Legal Services, in what remains a highly fragmented market. With the top five providers (all regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority) accounting for less than 15% of the total professional probate application volume annually, there remains significant potential for further consolidation within the industry.”

Andrew Rushworth, Founder and CEO of National Will Writers and Carter Westwood, shared his perspective on the acquisition:

“At National Will Writers & Carter Westwood, we have focused on delivering quality and sensibly priced estate planning services for our clients via our 20 consultants.

From my first discussions with David, it was clear that Premier Solicitors offering was a better fit for us than others we had spoken with, and provided the best home for our clients, including the comfort of a full-service law firm capability.

I’ve been impressed by David and Premier Solicitor’s approachability, openness, and integrity, alongside the clear differentiators their proposition delivers for partners and clients alike. This is an exciting time, and I will help to ensure a smooth transition.”

David Masterton: david.masterton@premiersolicitors.co.uk  

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