What’s it like heading up a Private Client department, which specialises in Wills and Probate matters, at the moment?
The person doing that at Fidler & Pepper Lawyers is Richard Howard, who is also a Director of the company. We spoke with him one Saturday morning, when he was in the office and preparing to go out to see a client.
“We’re still working hard for our clients,” says Richard. “We already had secure systems, and sound policies, in place that meant people could work from home but we have put in new IT support that means everybody can do that more effectively.”
“It is still largely business as usual, with people wanting to make new Wills, update existing Wills, or talk about Probate matters or Powers of Attorney. We can do a lot of work via telephone, emails or video such as Skype or FaceTime, although in some exceptional cases we can also visit people – social distancing of course when we attend an address. People often want to talk to a friendly, professional person who speaks Plain English and that can continue as we have and has put in place all the necessary procedures.”
When making a Will it follows a process. Clients are asked to fill out a questionnaire, which is then followed by up by drafting a Will. This is sent out so that people can make sure that it contains the information they want it to, and correct anything they might wish to change.
A final version will be sent out and in many cases, this can be signed and witnessed and returned, ready to be stored in secure vaults.
Sometimes though, perhaps where a Will is contentious, a Lawyer from Fidler & Pepper may attend the client’s home (following all guidelines and rules).
“We want to make sure Wills are correctly drafted, finalised, and signed, and all of this can happen with sensible precautions,” said Richard. “It’s about getting things right while at the same time protecting our clients and our colleagues.”
We have thousands of Wills stored in secure facilities. We firmly believe that writing a Will is one of the most important things you can do in life, ensuring that your estate is dealt with how you want it to be dealt with.
For more information about Wills, visit www.fidler.co.uk, or call 01623 451111 (there may be a slight delay in your call being answered, so please bear with us). You can also email wills@fidler.co.uk