• March 28, 2024
 Welcoming Back Simon McCrum To The Judging Panel

Welcoming Back Simon McCrum To The Judging Panel

We are delighted that law firm Management Consultant, Simon McCrum, is returning to the judging panel for the second upcoming prestigious British Wills and Probate Awards, which is brought to you by Today’s Wills and Probate, alongside headline sponsor, Arken.legal (UK) Ltd, a leader in software solutions for the legal services industry.

In this interview, he discusses what sparked his interest in the sector, what he will be looking for in relation to entries, as well as outlining his thoughts on how Wills and Probate professionals could improve their service delivery.

Please could you provide us with a summary of your professional background and your present role?

I qualified as a solicitor in 1990. I was a commercial litigator in a very large, full-service law firm, Pannone. We had a large private client team, but back then I don’t think that area of work was as valued as it now is (or should be).

What initially sparked your interest in this field?

When I came to understand the incredible trauma, delay, and expense that private client lawyers could help clients to avoid, I not only embraced this area of work but I came to see it as a key way – indeed, the only way – for solicitors to proactively extend care to clients instead of waiting for the phone to ring when something has gone wrong.

How do you think professionals in the Wills and Probate sector could improve their service delivery?

All too often I think people simply “sell Wills”. This is not about “selling” – it’s about “caring”. Doing cheap Wills is not the way to truly care for clients.

As a judge of the British Wills and Probate Awards, what will you be looking for in relation to the entries? What will make them stand out from the rest?

I will be looking for providers who go the extra mile to get clients to get all of their affairs in order – I will be looking for innovative ways to educate clients into the benefits of having their affairs in order, and for innovative ways to engage with young families to get them to realise how important this area is.

How important do you think it is to recognise outstanding achievement and highlight progression in the sector?

I think it is very important – we need the legal profession to realise for example that however much say a corporate lawyer thinks he cares for his corporate clients, he is not doing a full job until he has ensured the business owners have got tailored Wills and LPA’s in place. Private client lawyers should absolutely not be “colleagues down the corridor” – they should be at the centre of everything.

The British Wills and Probate Awards will take place on the 17th October at the prestigious Belfry Hotel and Resort in Birmingham, where the array of category winners will be announced and celebrated.

For information on this year’s categories and which ones best represent your business, please click here. Furthermore, bookings for this ‘not to be missed’ event are open here where you will find information and pricing for individual tickets and whole tables of twelve. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to showcase your firm or fellow professionals and to be in with a chance to win an accolade for high achievements within the industry.

You can also be part of the awards! If you’re looking for a unique way to boost your company’s brand exposure by sponsoring an award, please email awards@todayswillsandprobate.co.uk for more information.

The event is key for the Wills and probate calendar, so if you work in the industry, make sure it’s in your diary!

Join the Conversation #TBWPAwards

Toni Ryder-McMullin

Toni is the Media Officer for Today’s Conveyancer, Today’s Wills & Probate and Today's Family Lawyer. I worked for a law firm for 16 years, during my time at the firm I worked as a company commercial legal secretary for 7 years but changed careers and moved into marketing for the remaining 9 years – where I covered all aspects of marketing. While in the marketing role, I achieved a CIM Professional Certificate in Marketing and CAM Diploma in Digital Marketing.