Access to quality advice on wills and probate issues is set to be boosted by new legal services models, says international probate genealogy firm, Finders.
The Legal Services Act, which aims to open up new business models in the provision of legal services, is intended to ensure consumers can access services of an even higher standard and value. As wills and probate are the one area of law which nearly every member of the public is likely to come into contact with in their lifetime, whether writing a will, or as a beneficiary, executor or other interested party, consumers here can particularly expect to see an improvement in service provision.
Professional probate genealogists, such as Finders, provide important services which underpin the work of solicitors. They specialise in identifying and tracing heirs, locate people who may be beneficiaries under a will or the intestacy rules, and as well as solicitors, are frequently instructed by executors or administrators and trustees, or may act directly for the beneficiaries. Effectively integrating these services into a broader offer for the public in the new ABS’s will therefore bring significant benefits for the consumer.
Commenting, Daniel Curran, Managing Director, Finders, said:
“ABS’s have the potential to offer a one-stop-shop for consumers in legal services provision. Professional probate genealogists, such as ourselves, need to rise to the challenge of dovetailing our specialist expertise with an ABS’s offer to provide a comprehensive, streamlined wills and probate service for consumers, encompassing core services such as missing heir location, tracing next of kin, missing wills services, missing document services and estate distribution.
“It is particularly important that the new ABS’s work with probate genealogists because the issues surrounding wills and succession are often complex and thus probate genealogists can offer assistance with difficult cases, such as those involving no known next of kin or cross-border issues such as overseas beneficiaries in order to achieve a successful result for the client.
“Overall, there will be a broad benefit to be brought to consumers through close co-operation between ABSs and professional probate genealogists in wills and service provision. Such arrangements will also benefit the consumer by opening up competition and widening consumer choice, in keeping with the intentions of the Legal Services Act”.
