Member Article

Family ethos for will writer

A Durham wills and estate planner known for her friendly and family-focused ethos has expanded her business, moved into new premises and recruited staff for the first time.

Leah Hamilton has built up a strong brand and reputation in 12 years running her firm, Family Wills as a one-woman-band. But demand for her services means she’s now taken on her first business premises in Framwellgate Moor, Co Durham, and brought Jane Arthur and Annabel Parker on board to join the growing business.

Leah, a former GEC Capital Finance and retail senior manager, said: “Taking on Jane and Annabel frees me up from administration work and means I can take a more strategic look at the business. I’m continuing to carry out all the liaison work with clients as well as the direct work on wills, including, inheritance tax and business asset planning.

“I love chatting to people and putting them at ease, which is absolutely vital when you are discussing such important and sensitive issues. Clients say that other financial people are just interested in the hard facts, but will writing is personal by its very nature and it’s so important that clients trust you to write the will they want to leave.

“We handle every client as if they are our own sister, brother, mother, father or child. Everything’s done as if it’s part of a family.”

Leah is a member of the TAS network of specialised Professional Will Writers and holds the highest Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) qualification in will writing. She covers up to the Scottish Border, across to Cumbria and down to North Yorkshire, with the majority of her business coming via referrals from independent financial advisors, mortgage advisors, and client recommendations.

She said: “So many people don’t think about making a will unless something prompts them, such as taking out a mortgage or a death in the family.

“Everybody says they’ll do their will soon, but if you die without leaving one, it costs your family an awful lot more money to get out of the mess that it creates than if you had taken advice and left a will in the first place.

“I do talks to a lot of organisations, such as the WI and the Stroke Association, and strokes are a case in point. Strokes are unforeseen, like so many things that can happen to us, and if you haven’t made your will while you’re healthy, there could be major repercussions.”

One such issue is your care if you become ill. One of Leah’s specialisms is work on Lasting Powers of Attorney, without which your partner has no legal right to say how you should be cared for, nor can they handle financial matters on your behalf if you are incapacitated. She also works with family businesses and partnerships on settling future inheritance and succession issues.

Leah said: “The rules and regulations on how you leave your money, possessions or business interests are changing all the time. Every couple of months, I attend two-day conferences which are held to update professionals on changes in legislation and how it affects the industry.

“I enjoy the technical side of the work, but for me, the best part of the job is helping people get down on to paper what they want to say. I get a lot of satisfaction knowing that the wills and plans I’ve organised help to put their minds at rest that their families will be provided for when the inevitable happens.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Highlights PR .