Consultancy for Legal Advisors
For those who undertake Estate Planning work and advice.
We provide:
- An overview on the skills, character and ethos required for the role.
- What clients expect from you.
- What you can expect from your clients.
- What you can expect from your employers.
- How to deliver an overall exceptional quality service.
- How to manage the roles you have (lawyer, client personal consultant, manager of your secretary/paralegal team, the role you have within a Private Client Department, etc)
- What tools and practical skills you will need to work efficiently.
- How to develop a caseload.
- How to properly manage a large caseload
Specifically, what are the primary products and services required from a Private Client lawyer to fully satisfy the legal needs of your clients. How do you go about conveying the uses and benefits of those products, and when to do so.
How can you develop your own connections with other professionals?
Do you want to improve your performance as a private client lawyer?
How can you improve efficiency of working?
How can you improve your motivation?
How can you better convey your ideas to your clients?
How can you ensure that you, your firm and your clients value your time and expertise?
How you can better harmonise your methods of working with those of your team/organisation?
As a Manager – do you want to develop your private client team to be a success?
Courses for owners, strategists and managers wanting to better manage their Private Client department.
Are you a new Head of Private Client Department, or a would-be Head of Department?
Are you a law-firm partner/shareholder who wishes to develop a better functioning Private Client department?
Are you finding it difficult to harmonise your Private Client lawyers so that they cease to be “islands” unto themselves but instead focus on improving their way of working so they form part of a cohesive operating team under the same brand and ethos in line with the firm’s mission?
If you are any of these: we can
- Help you to convey your mission to your team or individual members;
- Assist you in providing ideas and solutions to problems of change management;
- Specifically discuss your products and services; discuss your charging structure, ensuring that you have all the tools, products and services that should be offered, and at the right price for you and your clients.
- Train, educate, help and support your team and individuals – outside training often carries a better success rate than trying to educate from within.
If you are a
- Private Client lawyer ; or a
- Head of Private Client Department; or a
- Owner/partner/director of a law firm wishing to improve performance in your Private Client Department;
Then give us a try.
What do we do?
Give further education: all of the do’s and do-nots that do not appear to be covered at CPD updates and seminars. Remember, it is not so much what we teach (as you will know most if not all of it anyway, or it will appear common sense to you). It is helping you putting the teaching in practice that counts.
As a firm, we help with performance management of previously perceived ‘under-performing’ lawyers. It may not be them that is under-performing at all. It may be that there is inadequate investment in the coaching and training of your lawyers and staff in the good systems you have created. The systems themselves may be lacking in some respect, and often are never quite as developed as hoped for. That is where we can help you.
Systems
Good systems help create good work and good results. A good sales system will make people good sellers, etc. Developing and improving your ‘best practices’ is a key element of what we do and helping you to prioritise system development is an important function of our help.
Innovate, not emulate
We will not tell you what to do. We will help you work out how best to stand out from the competition, develop a culture that attracts good quality people to work with you and the clients to instruct you. Our aim is to help you operate to the best of your abilities and those of your team using your own range of skills and requirements.
Who we are:
Robert Cartmell, who has practised as a specialist Private Client lawyer, conducting over 5,000 Wills, trusts, LPAs and who was appointed trustee and executor for over 1000 cases. Robert practised as a private client solicitor from 1996 to 2018. He was a solicitor, then partner, then senior partner at a 3 partnered-firm for 6 years before setting up a high street solicitors’ practice in 2013 based around his expertise in building a private client department. From 2013-2018, Rob as sole director and shareholder grew from 1 person at one small office to 28 people spanning 3 offices.
He has also experienced first hand the problems of developing a fast-growing business based around a private client department where he was the primary fee-earner and in turn where decision-making can go wrong. Having worked in all the above roles and experienced the ups and downs within a legal practice, this gives Robert the edge in understanding the needs, drives and requirements for each kind of role within a private client department or company. He knows through experience what it takes to be successful.
Jane Meads who has undertaken various administration roles within legal services since 1995 (with a short break into a laboratory environment between 2002 and 2006) including secretary, assistant and credit controller across all departments. Since 2020 she has been working alongside Robert dealing with private client work and assisting with organising of the firm.
For law firms
We can come to your office(s) or we can offer our service remotely.
We provide clear, bespoke training for any and all members of your legal and support team.
Primarily, our assistance is aimed at High Street small-medium sized practices with a private client department or those with a willingness to develop a successful private client department.