Co-op Legal Services: Best Estate Administration & Probate Services Provider UK 2020
According to consumer research by Co-op Legal Services, there are common misconceptions about how the law will work, particularly in the event of incapacity and death. For example, most people expect that the law will allow next-of-kin to look after the financial affairs of someone who has lost capacity (temporary or permanent) and that a lifetime partner will inherit most or all of the assets of the deceased. These misconceptions leave people, their families and assets exposed and Co-op Legal Services has harnessed digital technologies to engage with clients in true pioneering fashion, deploying interactive tech solutions to ensure people have free access to the information they need to understand their legal options and choose the option best suited to their needs. Co-op Legal Services has in effect created a ‘virtual solicitor’ to provide legal guidance and advice on a digital legal advice platform.
Co-op Legal Services encourages clients to leave nothing to chance by spelling out their final wishes in a will. It launched an online tool to provide prospective customers with free estate-planning diagnostics to determine the complexity of the will needed. Clients can also start the process online to obtain a legally binding and custom-created will to ensure that final wishes are respected. They receive a copy of the will while the original can remain safely stored by Co-op Legal Services, for their client’s lifetime, free of charge.
Bereaved families trust Co-op Legal Services to handle estate administration matters during difficult times. Co-op Legal Services employees more than 600 professionals, including solicitors, tax experts, probate property experts, case handlers, advisors and consultants, plus a probate team c200-people strong. The firm is trusted with over £1.5bn in estates annually and offers a range of legal services with fixed-fee or flexible pricing plans, including family law, personal injury and accident claims, employment law and conveyancing. The CFI.co judging panel is pleased to see the firm, a repeat winner in the awards programme, continue to expand its suite of high-tech and high-touch legal services. The judges congratulate Co-op Legal Services, winner of the 2020 Best Estate Administration & Probate Services Provider (UK) award.