Today's Wills & Probate Podcast

In this specially recorded podcast, the Today's Wills and Probate podcast joins forces with its sister podcasts from the Today's Conveyancer and Today's Family Lawyer online news publications to discuss the topic of mental health and wellbeing ahead of Mental Health Awareness Week, from 13th May 2024. Podcast host David Opie welcomes Managing Director of Culver Law Michael Culver, Marc Etherington (Rayden Solicitors) and Laura Burkinshaw (Convey Law) to discuss the mental health and wellbeing of those working across private client, family law, and residential conveyancing. The three guests identify some shared, and unique, challenges they face in their own roles, and discuss their own experiences of dealing with their mental health and wellbeing. What is clear from the discussion is that legal services is taking mental health and wellbeing much more seriously than it ever has; with firms taking a more proactive approach to support for staff. The podcast moves on to explore a range of skills and tools we can employ in our own mental health and wellbeing journeys to cope with the stresses and strains of modern legal life; with some fantastic ideas shared to help people exercise their bodies and minds, cope and deal with their roles, and get into what is described as their "flow state"; the experience of being so absorbed by an engaging, enjoyable task that your attention is completely held by it. The podcast is being published as part of Mental Health Awareness Week 2024. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

Dylan O'Brien, the founder of BePrepared, joins the latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast to discuss his take on the increasingly challenging issue of managing digital assets in estate planning, and what role technology has to play in supporting practitioners. BePrepared was launched in Australia and has expanded into the USA and UK in the time since. Dylan explores the differences they have encountered in the various jurisdictions and the issues with platforms like Google and Apple when it comes to managing, and sharing, digital assets accrued through those platforms. Dylan also discusses the challenges he sees in law firms adopting technology; from the impact of a global pandemic, to the constraints placed on practitioners around the need to billing time, not exploring innovation. But, he says, firms will be forced to adapt to new consumer expectations by their clients and those who don't, will be left behind. In terms of the future, Dylan is unequivocal that the future of wills and probate is digital; digital wills and digital estates. Can you collate and collect digital records in order to administer them effectively. E-signing and e-witnessing will take time so for the time being, the role of technology is to digitise what we can now, anticipating a fuller digital journey in the near future. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

Joining the latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast is Dan Temple, an expert in acknowledging and understanding the human impact of working, and managing employees and businesses. The discussion centres on creating effective and high performing teams, and what steps law firms can, and should, be taking to enable this in their business. Dan leads Cobalt Human Solutions, a training consultancy which focuses on creating effective teams, drawn from his own experiences in the Royal Air Force as part of the Chinook helicopter crew. The podcast discusses how creating high performing teams requires a number of key elements. Dan describes how trust and accountability are paramount. Ultimately, says Dan, the environment and culture of the workplace is where the success and failure of organisations is derived. He suggests that one of the key failings he identifies in many businesses is a blame culture; the inability of staff to be open, honest and appropriately challenge - what Dan describes as a "just culture." Staff are fearful of doing something wrong, rather than challenging management. As well as root cause analysis, Dan encourages organisations to conduct "pre-mortems" - the idea being that you spend time identifying potential pitfalls in a plan and anticipate how you might deal with them should they arise. And if you ever wanted to understand how the difference between egg mayonnaise and aircraft is relevant to leadership and management, listen in to this insightful and entertaining discussion. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

The Today's Wills and Probate Podcast welcomes Andrew Buchan, Managing Director of James McKenzie Wills, to discuss the ups and downs of running an estate planning business. Andrew has been with the business for 14 years and has seen the development of the sector first hand. He explains his role and responsibility both to his staff but also to his clients; it's been said many times but customer service really is king and ensuring that staff have the tools to do their jobs effectively is hugely important to Andrew. Andrew talks about the difference between a service driven proposition, and a sales driven proposition when it comes to dealing with clients; that one will almost certainly not lead to a positive client outcome. Andrew shares insight into his own quality controls and level of training he and the staff undertake to ensure they meet the high standards expected of those in the business. The conversation avoids the topic of regulation as long as possible but inevitably talk turns to improving standards in the industry and how that can be achieved. Andrew points to the increasing costs that come with regulation and qualification; risking a reduction in access to legal services. In the absence of regulation, what does credibility and quality control look like? Andrew suggests that greater collaboration and agreement from the various membership bodies around a set of agreed standards, qualifications and evidence of CPD would go some way to creating a better framework for the will writing community and protect clients. The conversation moves on the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the lingering impact on the business; and how Andrew has navigated the past few years. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

The Today's Wills and Probate podcast welcome Dan Warburton on to discuss the topic of leadership. Dan works with law firms leaders and partners to elevate their leadership skills to enable them empower staff to be more efficient and effective. Dan describes his work as "the skill of profitable delegation;" to create leaders who can deliver high levels of performance across their team. He cites the structure of many law firms in which lawyers are targeted on clients and the number of hours they bill... the system is set up in such a way that the more hours you work, in theory the more profit and remuneration can achieve. But when it comes to promotion what happens is you are expected to continue to build a client bank, and bill your hours, and manage a team of people. It is, says Dan, unachievable without simply more time into the equation, which has an impact on wellbeing and staff retention. Few partners achieve what Dan describes as a "transition out of being a technician in the business to being a business owner. The structure and success of the organisation relies on them. There is a way to resolve this, but we can only create successful teams when they willingly take responsibility for the success of the business. Dan shares his insight into how law firms can empower management teams and leaders to build trust and confidence in staff through regular one-to-one calls and coaching sessions. There is a cycle that needs breaking in law firms, says Dan. If a partners we keep our head down and just keep trying to crank out work we build firms that rely on us. When our team want things from us and we tell them what they need, they just keep relying on us. We must delegate work away and create highly effective team members underneath us Throughout the discussion Dan shares leadership insight and tools that leaders and manager can take away and implement today. One such example is the process of making requests, in which there are 3 key elements Ultimately, says Dan, when leadership is in, it's in.. when leadership is out, it's out. Listen in to this interesting discussion for law firm leaders and managers. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

Hamza Hafesji, Group Product Manager at Advanced Legal, joins the latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast to discuss the importance of implementing a culture of performance management in a business. For years the only time most employees receive any sort of constructive feedback has been in an annual appraisal. For Hamza, something has to fundamentally change and feedback must be much more of an ongoing process He cites research from PWC, LexisNexis, Thomson Reuters and their own client surveys which point to the challenges that face law firms from an HR point of view. Indeed 3 in 5 law firms are concerned about talent and shortage and churn, and are consider it a barrier to their success. He discusses organisations described as "Stay Firms" and "Go Firms" - firms who retain, and lose, talent. While acknowledging that remuneration plays a part in the success "Stay Firms," the focus on their broader value proposition sees them not only retain staff, but makes them more efficient with higher billable hours and better staff mental health and wellbeing. And lawyers themselves are more vocal about what they want from work. A staggering 44% of lawyers measure their stress levels at between 8-10 out of 10 in an Advanced Legal survey. That, and a lack of progression and professional development is often the cause of staff leaving. "When we drill into this, we're looking at a lack of mentorship and career guidance, a lack of promotion opportunities and the desire for greater on the job assistance. All of which can be described as performance management," says Hamza. This discussion covers a lot of ground around the value and importance of creating a culture of performance, normalising goal setting and providing a constant feedback loop between employees and managers. For Hamza, part of the success of implementing such a cultural change is in the adoption of technology to drive through the change and support managers to ask the right questions and enable those types of conversations. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

The first Today's Wills and Probate podcast on 2024, and the start of series 3, explores the perennial question on the minds and lips of most businesses... what do clients really want? A report from Law Firm Marketing Club does just that. Now in it's 4th year, "What Clients Want" is an extensive piece of research which asks consumers of legal services what they want from their law firm; from first introduction through to matter completion. With 4 years' worth of data behind them, the report is now able to start tracking consumer expectations and trends over time. Once of the really interesting elements of the report is the breakdown by demographic of respondents and the changing expectations of consumers of legal services. Client care and return business feature strongly in the report. 53% of respondents have used a law firm more than once but of those, a staggering 41% have not returned to the firm they'd used previously, but had moved to use a different firm. Read into that what you want but it's one of many statistics Clare shares in the course of the discussion. The report delves in to the experience of using a law firm and in particular first impressions and onboarding. It is interesting to note that the way in which consumers select firms is changing, with a focus on sustainability and ESG higher on younger people's agenda. There are plenty of lessons for firms as Clare shares details of responses to the extensive survey. The report is sponsored by Moneypenny and available via the Law Firm Marketing Club website The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

"Two nations divided by a common language" is a phrase often connected to the relationship between the UK and the USA; but it could be just as easily applied to England and Scotland at times, especially when it comes to legal matters like the probate process. Joining Today's Wills and Probate Podcast host David Opie to de-mystify Scottish probate is Mike Davis, Managing Director of My Probate Partner, a Edinburgh based service described as helping "navigate all the challenges and pitfalls of going through the probate process in Scotland." Mike describes the probate process in Scotland as "bonkers" and identifies a number of distinct differences between the systems in England & Wales, and in Scotland. Most obviously is the terminology which can cause confusion, and Mike goes on to explore some of the procedural quirks in Scotland. Alongside language, geography plays a bit role in determining the speed of the process as executors must apply to the most local sheriff court of the deceased. In some cases this can mean applications are processed in hours... music to the ears of practitioners in England & Wales who currently face months of delays. Moving on to discuss My Probate Partner Mike explains the origins of the business and how they are helping those going through the probate process in Scotland navigate the difficulties, emotions, and anxieties they face, especially at a time when they are often facing the bereavement themselves. Throughout the podcast Mike provides insight into the key differences between the legal systems in Scotland, England and Wales. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

Recorded in the week before the British Wills and Probate Awards 2023, this latest podcast explores the role faith plays in Yasmin Hoque's legal career. A practicing Muslim, Yasmin explores the way her faith has shaped her career to date firstly as a lawyer based in London, and later as the founder or AL-HQ Law & More, based in Southampton. The discussion explores the importance her faith plays in her work; both in her local community and in the wider legal community where she has spent time educating peers on the practicalities of Islamic wills and Sharia-compliant wills. A recent post on LinkedIn highlighted the role that alcohol plays at large scale events, and particularly at legal events, and the challenge that this presents to those choose to abstain from alcohol for religious, health or lifestyle reasons. The post gathered a huge number of reactions and comments and was widely praised for raising awareness of a topic that can be divisive. As Yasmin explains, different people and religions have different tolerances of alcohol, and even within religion there are degrees of tolerance. This is not to prevent others from having alcohol should they wish; and Yasmin is clear that there is no judgement on others. Rather the point is that event organisers should be better prepared to facilitate the religious, health and lifestyle choices of attendees. Indeed there is plenty of evidence to suggest that young people (18-24) are drinking less alcohol than ever before so we must be more open about those choices. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

The latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast welcomes Simon McCrum to discuss the contents of his latest book "The Perfect Lawyer" with host David Opie. There isn't much Simon McCrum doesn't know about running a law firm having been there, done it, and got the t-Shirt. In this discussion Simon shares a little about his background and how he came to run the fastest growing law firms in the country before its acquisition. He now shares his experience with other law firms as a management consultant and author of 2 books, "The Perfect Legal Business" and "The Perfect Lawyer," and through the course of the discussion Simon provides some fascinating insight into what he considers he did well, and what lessons he learnt along the way; all of which he includes in his books. He describes how he encourages firms to find and use differentiators across their business and create a culture of buy in across the firm. "The ultimate differentiator is service, but the ultimate challenge is living that" says Simon. He encourages firms to take a long hard look at their business and ask themselves if they are truly offering a "Bentley service, for a Bentley price." He moves on to discuss the content of "The Perfect Lawyer" in which he suggests the perfect lawyer is someone who has both pride in their own work and skills, and takes pride in, and understand their responsibilities to, the business; describing how "perfect lawyers" are nurtured by firms. This insightful discussion with one of the most passionate and experienced professionals we've had on the podcast is a "must listen" for law firm leaders and aspiring leaders. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

The latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast welcomes Laurelo on to talk about the current challenges facing probate practitioners. Michael speaks with host David about the origins of the business and his ambitions to support those going through the probate process. Describing their approach as "old school," Michael ensures all clients are seen face to face and talks about the importance of equipping clients for the harsh realities of probate, as much as it is important to be emotionally supportive. Speaking about their own approach Michael is bullish, and not afraid to pull any punches when it comes to challenging the status quo. He cites Laurelo's success at The British Wills and Probate Awards 2022, where they were winners in the "Probate Provider of the Year - South" category as evidence that they are doing the right thing; and are shortlisted again in 2023 with the awards on 11th October. Moving on to discuss delays and the impact on the industry, Michael describes the current situation as "shocking." "The courts aren't taking phone calls from those who are grieving like we are, daily" says Michael. "We try to manage expectations and advise clients it can take a minimum of 16 weeks... but there's no guarantee of that." In the continued drive for transparency and consumer protection, educating the public on the wide availability of probate services is important, says Michael adding "it's important to keep on banging the drum about people having more options." The podcast finishes with a couple of anecdotes about probate matters that the team have acted on which highlights the rich diversity of working in the probate industry. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

In this edition of the Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie speaks with Professional Standards Board member Nick Ash about plans to beef up their oversight of Society of Will Writers members. Ahead of the Society of Will Writers (SWW) Conference in Lincoln on Monday 9th October Nick provides insight into the proposed changes to the Code of Practice Oversight and Governance and Complaints Procedures which are due to be implemented in 2024. Despite what might be considered an enviable record, having expelled just 2 members in the last 2 years Ash describes the current powers of the PSB as bit like a “blunt stick.” Simply expelling members currently “doesn’t help the consumer… doesn’t help the member get better, (and) doesn’t help the society" he says. The new powers will enable the PSB to widen the scope of their complaints investigations and will include mis-selling and misleading advertising, and individuals bringing the profession into disrepute going forward. A 3 tier disciplinary structure will also be introduced with individuals and firms named and shamed where there is failure to engage with remedial action. The discussion also explores the recent launch of the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into will writing and pre-paid probate, which raises concerns around misleading advertising, unfair contract terms and pressure selling and coercion. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

The Today's Wills and Probate podcast welcome Ian Bond on to discuss the life and times of a private client practitioner in 2023. Ian is a partner in the Lifestyle and Estate Planning Team at Irwin Mitchell having joined in January 2023 and is a vocal advocate for the private client profession. Recorded in July 2023 Ian shares a little bit about his background and roles at Irwin Mitchell, The Law Society, where alongside his long standing position on the Wills and Equity Committee he also sits on the probate services user group, and provides tutoring for STEP. Ian reveals that he joined law school with the ambition of being an employment lawyer but soon realised that private client was the right place for him. He says "The best thing about being a private client lawyer is you never know what you're going to get... you know you make a difference in (people's) lives. They walk away with peace of mind." Although the podcast was recorded before the announcement of the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into the law pricing of will writing services, the discussion explores costs the issue of balancing costs against client expectations. The discussion moves on to the impact, and value, of technology; whether that's as a tool for meeting with clients and taking instructions or as an integrated part of the drafting process. Technology is exciting for consumers and the private client industry, says Ian, citing the increasing desire of clients to consume legal services on their terms; in a way that works for them. The almost inevitable impact of technology is the pressure that pricing comes under as the potential for delivering quicker, more efficient services reduces overheads... however, Ian warns, it's important to be clear about our differentiators. Our ability to get the job done, our experience working on similar matters previously, we can help you achieve these outcomes. An insightful and entertaining discussion, Ian shares his own thoughts on the direction of travel for private client law in 2023 and beyond. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

Following a Summer break the Today's Wills and Probate podcast returns to discuss the challenge of generating new and consistent leads sources for will writing and legal business. A perennial challenge, host David Opie is joined by social media lead generation specialist Matt Jones, founder of Shed Social a digital lead generation agency to discuss the issue. The key to lead generation, say Matt, is identifying where your clients are spending time and target those locations. When it comes to digital he explains that 90%+ of people in the UK are using a Meta platform like Facebook Instagram, WhatsApp up to 10 times a day, so it is a great place to find your customers. Facebook dominates the 50+ age bracket compared to other social media outlets. It has in recent years become a very complicated place to advertise but there are rewards if you can harness it and advertise well on the platform, he adds. Through the course of the podcast Matt explains his philosophy of 5 key elements to lead generation and growing your firm, and how organisations and implement them effectively: He also discussed the opportunity presented by the proliferation of groups now available on Facebook and how to approach the opportunity to generate leads through them consistently, especially when the time element individuals invest in engaging with the group can be difficult to manage. This insightful discussion from an expert in online lead generation provides some helpful insight for businesses of all shapes and sizes on how to grow your lead pipelines and convert more customers. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

If we thought branding was about logos and then we’re absolutely wrong... it's about reputation, meaning, culture, service and so much more according to Matt Davies who joins host David Opie on the latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast. Matt lives and breathes branding and his enthusiasm for the subject comes across through this discussion which provides some useful pointers on what brand is, why it is important and where do we start? Pulling no punches Matt challenges organisations and law firms to think about why they exist beyond making money. "Nobody is interested in you wanting to make money," says Matt. "You may personally be in business to make money but your brand and business and what it's trying to do in the world needs to have a narrative and a story to position itself in such a way that is effective in its market place." Your brand should be "And here’s the kicker" adds Matt, "it has to be true and it has to be authentic, because in today’s world you’ll get found out." In his work Matt asks 4 key questions of organisations. Throughout this insightful discussion Matt provides plenty of useful pointers ad tips organisations and law firms can take away and implement in their own business. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

The latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast is an exclusive interview with Dan Garrett, founder and CEO of Farewill. In an unusual twist of fate, an experience at a Japanese residential home plunged Dan into the world of wills and probate and in 2015 he launched Farewill with the ambition to make the process of dealing with death simpler. The discussion with host David Opie explores the early years of Farewill and the journey they have been on. They discuss taking on external funding, growth and growing pains, the plans for Farewill in the short and medium term and the direction of travel for the industry in the coming years. Dan also tackles the negativity surrounding Farewill from some corners of the wills and probate sector, pointing to client feedback as the ultimate indicator of whether they are doing things the right way. “People don't necessarily like what we do, and they might disagree with it. But customer reputation stands for itself. Reputation with our partners stands for itself, and the North Star for us isn't what our competitors think of us. It's what our customers think of us.” In 2023 Farewill boasts a Trustpilot score of 4.9/5 from over 14,000 reviews and has been recognised by The British Wills and Probate Awards and the Good Funeral Awards. Poignantly for Dan, Farewill has raised over £800m for charity through legacy pledging which he describes as a "really meaningful contribution." The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

Scott Walker, a consultant solicitor with Richard Nelson LLP is the latest guest on the Today's Wills and Probate Podcast, joining host David Opie to discuss the ups and downs of his working life as a private client practitioner. Scott is one of a new breed of consultant lawyers who effectively work for themselves whilst operating under the umbrella of a larger legal brand. It's a hybrid way of working and enables individuals to strike out on their own, with some of the security of working for a firm with associated marketing, technology, admin and indemnity insurance support. Scott shares what a day in the life of his varied practice looks like; and provides some insight into his productivity tips, working in person and on zoom/teams, and how he is managing client expectations around using technology, delays and unbundling legal services. Technology is a growing part of the legal profession and Scott explores how he is adapting to using more technology as a practitioner and how he is adapting his practice to cater better for clients. Asked about what he enjoys about his work, Scott discusses his love for helping people make important life choices and supporting them through that decision making process. Pressed on what he doesn't enjoy Scott explains that issues outside of his control which impacts the client, like delays, make the maintenance of the client relationship tricky. He also raises the issue of sales and how he has had the change his mindset from being in an employed role where the work is largely provided by the firm, to being more reliant on his own efforts to generate work. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

In this latest Today's Wills and Probate Podcast host David Opie is joined by Exizent co-Founder Aleks Tomczyk. In 2018-19 Aleks and Nick Cousins, his fellow co-Founder of what was to become Exizent, went through their own bereavement journeys and found the whole process frustrating. They also had friends of theirs in similar situations, sparking the idea for launching the business. Indeed, one of the unexpected consequences of launching the business and sharing their experience is that many of the team have been attracted to working for Exizent because of their own experiences going through bereavement and probate. "It really speaks to our purpose," says Aleks, "of making the probate process easier to navigate." The ultimate vision for Exizent is to improve the administration of the probate process and connect the 3 key stakeholders together, reducing time and improving accuracy In the discussion Aleks shares details of the work being done by the team and is heartened to see legal services more actively looking at innovation and technology adoption. As an "API-first" organisation Aleks touches on the way Exizent is working on partnering with other organisations to create less friction in the probate process. Aleks finishes with an impassioned plea to the community to work together to improve the experience for those who go through probate and which in turn will improve the lives of practitioners and institutions. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

On the latest Today's Wills and Probate podcast host David Opie welcomes Clive Ponder on to discuss his journey from miner to running one of the largest estate planning businesses in the country. CTT Group, formerly Countrywide Tax and Trust Corporation, now spans technology and software, accountancy and conveyancing alongside its estate planning business. The Group celebrates a milestone 20 year birthday in 2023 and is Headline Sponsor of The British Wills and Probate Awards. Never short of an opinion, Clive shares his thoughts second careers, building and growing businesses, technology, regulation, and the current state of the industry. Clive has also been a vocal supporter of the will writing community and championed the industry against those who might consider it to be a "second class industry." He also reflects on 20+ years in the profession, recounting his own initiation ("the training was 2 hours before I went on my first appointment") and the progress made. He is a supporter of greater regulation, but pointedly makes the distinction between regulation and reserved activities. "(the definition of) reserved activities is a joke, there's no other words to describe. A solicitor can be drafting a lifetime trust on a Friday, join Tesco's, same skills, but cannot draft that trust on a Monday morning. That defies logic." Ever an advocate of technology, and evangelical of the impact it has had on his business, asked what the private client community can do today that will change their business and improve their service to clients, he offers two pieces of advice. "Get rid of paper, and take on digital... manage clients and risk more effectively.... The solutions clients of today want are different from the client of 50 years ago." Listen in to hear more of this interesting discussion with one of the will writing community's most well known individuals. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

The latest episode of The Today's Wills and Probate podcast considers the tricky challenge of generating leads and converting sales de organisations across the legal services spectrum. Joining host David Opie is Adam Stevens of The Law Superstore and Reallymoving.com. Experts in lead generation, the platforms generate thousands legal service enquiries each month. Adam shares his insight and experience with developing on and offline marketing channels to direct spend most effectively and achieve as high a return on investment as possible. The Law Superstore and Reallymoving.com platforms provide a range of comparisons for consumers, one of which is inevitably price. However, and somewhat reassuringly for practitioners, Adam suggests that the trends they see through the platform indicate that price is not always the primary driver of lead generation. "60% of the time people don't go with the cheapest quote" says Adam. Speed remains a critical part of success, adds Adam, with feedback from users suggesting that the first firm to call and build that rapport with the enquiry has the highest chance of success. A lot of firms have been used to winning work organically, in that it comes to them rather than having to go out and find it. In an increasingly competitive space like Wills and Probate there will be times when firms will need to be more proactive and ultimately success is built on strong processes suggests Adam. Follow up in the first instance and then build a way to nurture the leads if they are not quite at the right point in time to buy right now. Adam also provides some useful reminders on what tools organisations should be considering as part of their wider marketing mix to showcase their services, expertise and success; including networking events, social media, awards, review platforms and much more. The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.