The Today's Wills and Probate Podcast welcomes back Dan Warburton, a law firm consultant and trainer who specialises in helping individuals delegate work more effectively; in the process junior staff are elevated, the individual has a happier work/life balance, and ultimately the firm can be more profitable.

It's a soapbox Dan has jumped on before having appeared previously on the podcast to discuss “the skill of profitable delegation;” creating leaders who can deliver high levels of performance across their team. Few partners achieve what Dan describes as a “transition out of being a technician in the business to being a business owner"; it should be their objective to remove themselves from a position where the structure and success of the organisation relies on them.

This discussion centres on the launch of Dan's book "Delegate Now to Supercharge Your Profits" in which he outlines the secrets to his methodology;

• including the key differences between "delegation" and "profitable delegation" - "It’s easy to delegate work away ineffectively... It’s a very different skill to delegate work away and have it handled to a high standard whilst gaining a great reputation and making a firm reliably profitable.")
• Proactive and reactive management - "I’ve come to see that there really is no other way than leading regular one-on-one calls to lead and manage team members effectively."
• Leading teams in a way that makes them loyal to you

Throughout the podcast Dan discusses tips and tactics for how to work with individuals in the business to help them become more efficient, effective and confident members of the team which in turn enables leaders to lead, rather than remaining forever in the The Law Technician’s Valley of Doom - It’s where partners are all burned out from working long hours and cannot see how to increase their firms’ profits without working even longer hours.

They cannot stop working, and they cannot take breaks to recharge their batteries very often. They take holidays infrequently because their firms rely on them so much to keep operating.

The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

In the second episode of the fourth series of the Today's Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie sat down with Taz Khalid, CEO, and Jean Ward, COO of My Probate Solicitor (MPS), to discuss the launch of the new business and the introduction of ZENA—an AI-powered “warrior princess” designed to streamline probate services for an ageing and growing population.

MPS was founded as a tech-centric firm with AI at its core, offering a fixed-fee solution for probate. Ward, who transitioned from a background in personal injury to the private client sector, saw an opportunity to create a more efficient and controlled process. By commissioning AI and training it with carefully curated data, the team has successfully developed ZENA to enhance their services.

MPS specialises in probate, wills, and trusts while maintaining a transparent, fixed-fee model. They describe their process as being 'streamlined and AI-powered' guiding clients through each step with precision and ease.

Khalid and Ward emphasised their vision for MPS is as a leader in legal tech placing the client at the centre of the experience; they will, for example, provide direct phone support where clients can receive immediate assistance.

Looking ahead, Khalid expressed a desire for the probate market to move towards fixed fees, ensuring fairness and transparency for consumers. As an SRA-regulated firm, MPS hopes to set an example for the legal industry, encouraging other professionals to adopt a more tech (and consumer) friendly approach.

The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.

In the first episode of the fourth series of the Today's Wills and Probate Podcast, host David Opie is joined by Alison Hesketh of TimeFinders; a service best described as providing later life admin support.

Filling the "yawning gap" between the legal and financial professions, and the care sector, Timefinders was set up in 2010 following Alison's own experiences of supporting her family.

Initially focused on retirement downsizing, the business rapidly widened its services to help people 'live in the right place at the right time.' There is little information about care options and contingency planning, says Alison. And as we are regularly reminded, when only c.60% of the adult population have a Will, encouraging people to think about what happens in later life can be challenging.

"What happens if you can't drive any more; what happens if you can't get upstairs and you don't have facilities downstairs... these questions are things people don't want to think about but what we find is when we guide them through that process, every single time clients say they feel so much better because it's been a worry in the back of my mind."

TimeFinders works with legal and financial advisors to ensure people are properly prepared with up to dates Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney as an example. Their advocacy service is designed to help clients make important decisions about their future while they can; and often work with people whose own family is unable to provide that dedicated support, whether through distance or other commitments.

It's disappointing, concludes Alison, successive governments have kicked the social care can down the road and we have to do something to protect the most vulnerable in society.

The Today's Wills and Probate podcast is available on your preferred podcast provider, and at www.todayswillsandprobate.co.uk. Subscribe today to hear all the latest news and views across the wills and probate sector.