Partner Article

‘WIQS’ accreditation to boost QualitySolicitors Talbots Trusts and Estates service

A leading West Midlands law firm has become one of the first in the country to gain membership of a prestigious Law Society scheme to raise standards in the sector.

QualitySolicitors Talbots, which employs 170 people at its network of seven offices across the Black Country and Worcestershire, has become a member of the Wills and Inhertiance Quality Scheme (WIQS) that ensures consumers are receiving advice they can trust.

To secure the best practice quality mark, members have to demonstrate wide ranging expertise and experience, ongoing training and development for its staff and a commitment to ensuring clients are given the right information they need to understand the process, options, costs and timescales.

The WIQS award follows on from the recent appointment of high profile lawyer Adrian Mabe as Head of its Trusts and Estates team.

Martyn Morgan, Director at QualitySolicitors Talbots, commented: “We are delighted to be one of the first members of the Law Society’s latest initatives and this follows on from our previous accreditation to its Conveyancing Quality scheme in 2011. This means we are just one of 40 firms in the country to hold both standards.

“All of our offices have qualified lawyers operating in wills and administraton of estates and many are trained in specific specialisms and are members of STEP. This means it’s not just general advice you are receiving.”

He continued: “We have a proven track record of saving people thousands of pounds in taxes, care fees and administration costs.

“Furthermore, all our staff are trained to deal with issues sensitively, putting the interests of the client at the forefront of our approach.”

QualitySolicitors Talbots has enjoyed a major year of growth, investing £500,000 into a new office in Dudley and acquiring Lumsdon’s Stourport practice as part of a desire to increase its coverage in Worcestershire.

The firm, which also has a presence in Codsall, Halesowen, Kidderminster, Stourbridge and Wolverhampton, has seen turnover rise by 12% as a result, reaching £6m by the end of 2013 and targeted to hit £7.75m in 2014.

It has developed a reputation for taking an innovative approach to legal support, including being the first in the West Midlands to open at lunchtimes, Saturdays and, more recently, to extend its hours for clients from 8.00am to 6.00pm.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .