Member Article

Urging People to Make a Will Nets Award Shortlist

A ground breaking initiative to encourage the nation to make a Will has been shortlisted for a major national legal award.

Stockport-based law firm, Gorvins Solicitors has been nominated for Best Marketing Campaign of the Year following the launch of their pioneering ’Act on It` campaign which aims to raise awareness of lifetime planning, especially amongst those who were unlikely to consider making a Will a priority.

Latest figures from the Ministry of Justice suggest more than 60% of Britons haven`t made a Will, which, coupled with the soaring number of disputes means our loved ones could be vulnerable to unnecessary financial uncertainty and emotional turmoil.

Christine Thornley, Partner and Head of Wills, Trusts & Probate at Gorvins says: “At especially busy, new or exciting times in our lives we tend to think that we are immune to accident and illness; that it won’t happen to me. Meanwhile with so many changes to the traditional domestic set up, for example the rise of co-habitees and same sex marriage, many people are unaware of how vulnerable they are in terms of inheritance and estate issues.”

But overlooking making a Will can lead to devastating consequences. As a firm Gorvins are passionate about raising awareness of how exposed people may be if they don`t make a will.

The Act on It campaign, which was launched in April 2014, was also triggered by what the firm believed to be a great deal of ignorance and lack of training amongst certain financial institutions about the laws concerning Powers of Attorney.

Meanwhile the internet was brimming with cheap will writing services which may not be offering the protection people need. Ensuring financial institutions and bank staff were able to offer sound advice to their customers on this subject was critical to the campaign.

The firm focused their consumer campaign around ‘Life Moments’; targeting those people who wouldn’t necessarily think of making a Will, including young mothers, first time buyers, same sex couples and those reaching later life.

As part of their research Gorvins worked with a national Mums group in order to spark debate amongst its members.

Head of Marketing, Paul Longmire commented “We held focus groups, twitter debates and advice sessions to help people think about their futures. The result has been an increased number of enquiries and conversions into the firm from mothers and families wanting to protect their families and the most precious asset in their lives; their children.”

The success of the campaign has been reflected in an increased awareness about lifetime financial planning together with features in national newspapers and magazines.

Adds Paul Longmire: “We want to campaign for a change in the way people approach the future. As a firm we wanted to ensure we made a difference to our clients and the industry; we are changing the face of wills, trusts & probate making it accessible and above all important for everyone to consider. My congratulations go to all the finalists.”

The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony held at The Hurlington Club in London on Thursday 19th November.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Longmire .