I have been honoured to have been involved in Women in Wills since its inception in 2018. Since that time, it’s evolved into an incredibly valuable networking group supporting around 2,000 women working throughout the wills and probate industry and the estate planning sector.
As one of the committee leaders, I work alongside other committee members and our chair to help drive our innovative programme of events, attract new members and encourage engagement. We aim to provide a friendly, supportive environment that includes women at all stages in their careers, where we can ask questions and share collective knowledge with our peers.
Collaboration, networking, education, and learning are key elements of our programme, which is made up of webinars, quarterly in-person regional events, which usually include a wonderful lunch, plus our informative newsletter, interviews and a valuable LinkedIn group. But Women in Wills is far more than that. It is a safe space to share, meet trusted colleagues and develop friendships.
In a female-dominated industry where death and working with vulnerable people is part and parcel of the daily work of many women, Women in Wills can also be helpful to support those struggling with pressure and burnout too.
Our goals are defined as:
- To support and encourage education, collaboration and knowledge sharing through regular online and in-person events covering a broad range of topics from the personal to the professional.
- To strength relationships and networking between the regulated and non-regulated sectors.
- To promote diversity and inclusion in the industry.
- To grow our network digitally and in person.
In addition to serving as one of the committee leaders, I also represent Estatesearch as a sponsor of Women in Wills. Estatesearch is a huge advocate of supporting women in the industry and as a company, we benefit from the connections we have made with solicitors and Will writers, in addition to sharing ideas and gaining insight about their common challenges. As a sponsor, we have also been able to bring some of our own legal clients along to lunch events as guests, which has been particularly well received.
At our recent event in Cambridge, Estatesearch’s Group CEO, Jonathan Upton co-presented about diversity and inclusion and he shared his own experience about life in the industry from the perspective of a gay man, and what it should look like.
During our various events we have also covered topics including mental health, imposter syndrome and menopause. From a business standpoint, we have looked at issues including: contentious probate, leadership and dealing with bereavement to name a few.
To continue to foster engagement and grow our peer support group of incredible women, we welcome new members who are private client solicitors and those from the unregulated space such as Will writers and suppliers too. As a woman working in Estate Administration technology, I have found my membership of Women in Wills particularly valuable. I’ve made many connections and friends, and would certainly recommend the supportive environment of this group of professional women.
For further information about Women in Wills and our events, connect to our private Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13780941/ or subscribe to our newsletter: www.womeninwills.co.uk/subscribe-to-newsletter/
Emma Baddaley is Strategic Relationship Director at Estatesearch
Women in Wills is a free membership group facilitated by Today’s Media and brought to members by Today’s Wills and Probate focused on collaboration, insight and support. It is supported by sponsors Estatesearch and Exizent.
