I‘ve known for some time, what my secret ingredient in business is.

If you’ve read some of my articles, you may be aware.

Love.

You see, Wills & Probate is not an area of law that I fell into by chance. Many years ago, my family endured a Court case, the result of which was that following my Mum’s death, I was the nine year old little girl who got nothing. I have a strong belief that we must all choose what to focus on, and I choose love.

The more I ponder and reflect, the more I realise that the unique aspects of my firm and the way I run it, are founded in my very personal experience and how I have chosen to interpret it.

I have a strong belief that although some conversations required to put good Wills in place can be tough, overall it should be a good experience. I also believe that if I don’t achieve a result, in that you don’t ultimately sign Wills, for whatever reason, then I should not charge. After all, drafted unsigned Wills are no better than no Wills.

I recently announced that my firm’s fees for Wills are to double in July 2019.

It’s clear to me that this announcement has been the nudge that some of you have been waiting for. People have been in touch with me, to book their time in, to secure the current fees during the month of June 2019.

Doubling my fees may sound shocking, until you realise that since I started my business, I never got round to reviewing the fees. I’m approaching a decade of running JC Independent Wills & Probate Ltd. When you look at the work involved to create Wills properly, to have full and thorough discussions, which sometimes require additional hours, then I must take time to draft with care (my Wills are not created by software, but crafted in a bespoke manner), then I make myself available to supervise the signing of all Wills I have given birth to, then you can see that the nominal fees simply do not cover the work involved.

Of course, I realised this some time ago. A fellow lawyer contacted me about his Will. I won’t go into details about how he came to attend my office, but suffice to say, he knew where I had been trained, and was confident about the level of expertise he would receive.

He attended my office and booked his first appointment. I can remember vividly. “Don’t worry Jane, I’m not about to die”! Perhaps he read my mind, as I asked myself why he had chosen to attend my office, rather than one of the many lawyers he worked with. The penny soon dropped, as I understood that a Will is a very private matter.

At the end of the process, which for him, took far longer than the average 3-4 hours of work (more like 7-8 hours if I remember correctly), he couldn’t pay my firm’s fees quickly enough. There was clearly part of him thinking that I was surely going to change my mind, and charge him for the value he knew and I knew, he had received.

As he wrapped up his payment, he looked slightly awkward and said “Jane, that’s incredible value. You’ve done an awful lot of work for that fee.”

I’ve had many clients since, who can’t quite comprehend the level of work that I do for the fee I receive for Wills. There are certain Letters of Wishes which I like to draft for some clients, particularly if they’re doing something a bit controversial like giving less to one child compared to another, or not giving anything to their partner who is currently financially independent of them. I don’t charge extra for the extras.

When my firm’s fees for Wills double, I will continue to work with love. I hope clients value the expertise, care and attention I give each and every person I serve. If I look after you, then I will add my secret ingredient to your Will – love.

If you think we may be a match made in heaven, with regards to your Will being prepared with love, please either give my office a call on 01727 840 240 or drop me a line at Jane@jcwillsandprobate.co.uk and we can see if I feel the same way.