DPM Legal secures Law Society's Accreditation.

DPM Legal are delighted to announce that they have been awarded accreditation under the Law Society's Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme (WIQS). Accreditation is not automatically granted when sought, and to succeed a firm must demonstrate high standards of technical expertise, client service and good practice both in this area of law and in its management and internal procedures in general. The award complements the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme accreditation given to the firm ion 2019. 

Edward Pennington, Head of Wills, Trusts Tax and Probate (who is a full member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners - an international kitemark organisation in this field) commented: 

"Your Will is one of the most important financial and personal decisions that you will make, but in England and Wales there is, sadly, is no regulation surrounding Will drafting so anyone is able to write a Will holding themselves out as an expert.

It is extremely important to talk to a solicitor who can make sure that your Will is prepared in a way that is legally watertight and actually does what you want. A Solicitor will also be able to advise on complex financial issues such as inheritance tax and trusts planning. Solicitors are all trained and regulated and they are required to have insurance to protect the public. WIQS accreditation on top is an extra guarantee to the client, as are additional, ongoing training requirements to ensure knowledge is kept up to date.

At the heart of WIQS is the Law Society standard for delivering tailored Wills and probate advice and not "one size fits all" options. WIQS accreditation ensures best practice in delivering Wills and probate advice. This benefits clients by ensuring that they understand the issues in preparing a Will or seeking probate advice, and are aware of the options, costs and timescales in order to make an informed choice from the outset".

Why choose a WIQS accredited firm?

1. Understand the options and get advice that meets your needs.

• We will not make any misleading claims about the advantages of making a Will, or pressure you into buying more complex advice that is not in your best interest.

• We will help you understand the issues involved in buying Wills and probate advice to make a more informed choice from the outset.

• We will explain the process, the options, costs and likely timescales.

2. Receive a quality service and be kept up-to-date.

• We will provide you with the name(s) of the person(s) responsible for your matter.

• We will agree how you want us to contact you and how often.

• We will communicate with you in plain English, explaining Legal terminology.

• We will reply to your questions within 48 hours if possible or, if not, provide a timeframe for more complex issues.

• We will tell you when unforeseen issues affect the original cost estimate and timeframe and explain the impact.

3. Trust practices with WIQS

• WIQS is only open to law firms or other organisations that are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).

• The Senior Responsible Officer or Head of Department must have at least three years' experience of Will drafting and estate administration. Edward Pennington currently (January 2022) has 18 years' experience after qualification. 

• Accredited Solicitors and other staff complete regular mandatory training on the WIQS standard and show compliance through annual re-accreditation and ongoing enforcement checks by the Law Society.