Will Aid Campaign

Now’s the time for solicitor firms to sign up to participate in this year’s Will Aid campaign – which brings a host of opportunities including attracting new clients, boosting your reach, and helping seven of the UK’s best-loved charities too.

Will Aid is an annual charity Will-writing scheme that sees hundreds of solicitors donate time in the month of November to write basic Wills. Instead of charging their usual fee for writing basic wills, solicitors invite clients to make an upfront donation to Will Aid with the donations benefiting the Will Aid partner charities.

It has been running since 1988 and has encouraged more than 350,000 people to write their Will with a regulated and insured solicitor and, in so doing has raised more than £24 million in donations, and many millions more in pledged legacies.

Boost to business

Helping others and supporting the local community is one of the main reasons why law firms sign up to take part in Will Aid each year.

But there are a whole host of business benefits to being part of Will Aid – such as meeting new clients, boosting staff morale, and raising your solicitors’ local profile.

In 2023, there were 323 mentions of Will Aid in local and national press, on TV and radio, and in online publications – giving amazing exposure to those firms who helped people gain peace of mind by getting a Will professionally drawn up, while supporting charities as well.

Attracting new clients

There are always more people wanting to participate in Will Aid than there are available appointments, and as well as face-to-face sessions, firms can also offer remote appointments – meaning Will Aid is an effective way to widen the client network.

And the Will Aid team make it easy for you to take part. There is an easy-to-use and fully secure online dashboard to help solicitors keep track of where they are with each enquiry, and it’s up to firms to decide how many Will Aid instructions they take.

Helping people at home and beyond

Lauren Smith, from Sheffield and Doncaster-based Taylor Bracewell, said the firm has been part of the Will Aid scheme for more than 10 years and found the process straightforward and worthwhile, attracting hundreds of clients a year.

"Taking part in Will Aid says that your firm has the interests of people right at its heart,” she said. “Whether that’s clients who want to put their affairs in order and provide for their loved ones with a professionally written Will, or those people who depend on the support of some of the UK’s best-loved charities.

“Our involvement with Will Aid sent out that powerful message, and it was heard loud and clear. We attracted almost 300 new clients in 2023 as a result.

"The number of Wills you choose to write is up to you, so you always feel in complete control of your workload and calendar. I was surprised how easy it was to inform the Will Aid team that we were at capacity.

“In fact, they were incredibly helpful in supporting us every step of the way – whether that was helping us keep track of enquiries through their secure online dashboard or sharing PR materials with us to help us promote our involvement."

A golden opportunity

Will Aid Campaign Director Peter de Vena Franks added: “We are always looking for firms to come on board to help fulfil enquires as appointments for Will Aid get booked up extremely quickly, and each year, we receive far more demand than we can fulfil.

"Participating solicitors regularly see Will Aid clients return for additional services and have even been highlighted in the national and regional press for their incredible work.

“We encourage solicitor firms, new or returning, to sign up to Will Aid 2024 and use this opportunity to support some of the UK’s best-loved charities, all while welcoming new clients and boosting the profile of your business.

“Participating in Will Aid is simple and beneficial for all involved. If your firm has any questions before registering for this year, please do not hesitate to get in touch via our website, one of our team members will be more than happy to assist.”

Top tips

• When you take part in Will Aid, the number of new clients you take on is completely up to you.
• Just let the Will Aid team know when you are fully booked, and they will take you off the list.
• You can also choose to be on our remote list and reach clients all over the country. Listing your firm on the remote list gives prospective Will makers the chance to find and contact you, no matter where in the UK you’re based, so you can grow your client base even further.
• We have a secure online dashboard to help you keep track of where you are with each of your enquiries, as well as PR materials to help you promote your involvement with Will Aid.

Ready to win some new clients and change lives for the better?

To take part in Will Aid, follow these simple steps: Call the Will Aid team on 0300 0300 013 or visit willaid.org.uk/register