Five long years ago. Hard to believe.

The pandemic made people more aware of the need for proper estate planning, leading to a surge in will writing, trusts, and lasting powers of attorney. Many individuals who had previously put off making a will suddenly felt the urgency to get their affairs in order.

Additionally, COVID-19 caused a significant increase in death rate, which led to a higher number of probate cases and estate administrations. Families had to navigate complex legal processes while grieving, often leading to an increased demand for legal assistance. At the same time, many people reassessed their financial and property affairs, prompting more inheritance tax planning, asset protection, and trust restructuring.

Disputes over wills and estates have also risen, partly due to hastily made wills during the pandemic or family tensions exacerbated by lockdowns. These tensions don't seem to have abated and contentious private client work is now far more commonplace.

Contentious probate cases became more common as individuals questioned the validity of wills or challenged inheritances. The pandemic also highlighted the importance of having lasting powers of attorney in place for elderly or vulnerable individuals, leading to a rise in applications and legal consultations.

Business owners sought legal advice on succession planning due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and the economic fallout. Many wanted to ensure that their businesses could continue smoothly in case of illness or unexpected circumstances. Additionally, while digital processes improved efficiency in some areas, they also created backlogs as the legal system adapted to remote working and new ways of handling documents, such as the remote witnessing of wills.

The combination of these factors has kept private client solicitors in high demand well beyond the initial crisis, as individuals and families continue to plan for the future with greater urgency.

In a world of full service law firms, it was common, prior to 2020, for private client solicitors to feel left behind, whilst corporate/commercial colleagues flourished.

Since 2020, the necessity of well maintained private client teams has become paramount for firms, from both a full-service offering and financial perspective.

Whilst the circumstances were, and remain, far from ideal, for the first time in a generation, private client solicitors have far more agency over their career paths.