Peter de Vena Franks
Helping others and supporting the local community is one of the main reasons why law firms sign up to take part in Will Aid each year.
But there are a whole host of business benefits to being part of Will Aid – such as meeting new clients, boosting staff morale, and raising your solicitors’ local profile.
Will Aid is a special partnership between the legal profession and nine of the UK’s best-loved charities. Every November, participating solicitors waive their fee for writing basic Wills. Instead, they invite clients to make a voluntary donation to Will Aid – a suggested £100 for a single basic Will and £180 for a pair of basic ‘mirror’ Wills.
With Will Aid, which has been running for more than 30 years, everyone benefits – including your law firm.
Good for growth
Will Aid brings so many benefits to your business.
When you take part in Will Aid, you’re signing up to a scheme that welcomes new clients through your door and helps you expand your firm’s reach.
Will Aid month is November, but every Will Aid client has the potential to engage you for additional work – from appointing you as an executor to asking you to help them set up trusts and arrange power of attorney. You can charge for any additional work you carry out for a client over and above a basic Will.
Taylor Bracewell received more than 1,100 new enquiries from prospective Will makers, all because of their involvement with Will Aid. Many turned into ongoing clients, returning with other legal matters, or recommending the firm to their family and friends.
Lauren Smith, from Taylor Bracewell Solicitors, said: “We’ve got the advantage of getting new clients through the door who then come back to us because they’ve received good service.”
“Will Aid is a fantastic scheme where everyone seems to win. Seven hundred extra new clients through the door and we’re supporting vital charities. That’s amazing!”
It’s easy to run a campaign smoothly, and doing so can help you build up a Will bank and train your staff in how to manage probate affairs. You decide how many clients you would like to take on, and you can manage your involvement in the scheme to suit your capacity and team.
Plus, you have the chance to raise the profile of your firm with the support of Will Aid’s amazing PR team. The publicity Will Aid generates every year is sure to bring you plenty of new clients – both from the local and online community.
Good for your team
Whether you’re a new firm or a long-established business, taking part in Will Aid is a brilliant way to bring staff together.
Everyone in your office will feel great knowing their efforts are making a real difference to the work of the nine amazing Will Aid charities; ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF and Trocaire.
Some firms even get a bit competitive, with teams working hard to top the regional leaderboards.
Good for your community
Will Aid gives you the chance to give something back to your local community through the peace of mind having a professionally written Will can bring.
Taking part in Will Aid is a simple and easy way to provide a valuable local service – helping people who don’t have Wills to finally put their affairs in order.
With so much uncertainty in the world, people can find comfort in ensuring their loved ones are taken care of.
Doing good in the world
Simply by writing Wills, you can help to raise thousands of pounds – changing lives here in the UK and around the world.
With the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis at home, the role that charities play within our global society has never felt so important.
When you raise money with Will Aid, your firm supports charities who are caring for vulnerable people in the UK and around the world.
That means you and your team will always be fundraising for the issues you care deeply about – from ending child abuse to providing emergency supplies for refugees to making sure families have enough food to eat and water to drink.
Even just by writing ten Will Aid Wills this year, you can make a phenomenal difference in people’s lives.
Emma Aslett, from Penn Chambers Solicitors, said: “Will Aid is a fantastic opportunity to do three things at once: get more clients through the door, give back to the community and help the charities do the vital work they do.”
When you take part in Will Aid, it really is a win for your business, for your community and for the world’s most vulnerable people.
Top tips
- When you take part in Will Aid, the number of new clients you take on is completely up to you.
- Just let the Will Aid team know when you are fully booked, and they will take you off the list.
- You can also choose to be on our remote list and reach clients all over the country. Listing your firm on the remote list gives prospective Will makers the chance to find and contact you, no matter where in the UK you’re based, so you can grow your client base even further.
- We have a secure online dashboard to help you keep track of where you are with each of your enquiries, as well as PR materials to help you promote your involvement with Will Aid.
Ready to win some new clients and change lives for the better?
To take part in Will Aid, follow these simple steps: Call the Will Aid team on 0300 0300 013 or visit willaid.org.uk/solicitors/register