Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme
WIQS can help to minimise your practice’s risk of claims and protect your brand’s reputation.
By joining the scheme, you’ll demonstrate that you:
- have the expertise to deliver wills and inheritance advice
- use standardised processes to recognise and reduce risks
- educate clients about what to expect when buying wills and inheritance advice
- benefit from our training and marketing programmes
It can help you to win more business and increase client satisfaction by making you stand out against generalists or providers with infrequent experience.
Eligibility
WIQS is designed for practices that:
- offer both wills and probate/estate administration advice
- are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
You must be able to demonstrate compliance with the Wills and Inheritance Protocol (PDF 360 KB). This may involve amending existing policies to meet the requirements.
How to apply
To apply for accreditation, your practice will need to:
- appoint a senior responsible officer (SRO)
- sbmit an application form
The accreditation process takes approximately six to eight weeks.
It can take longer if we receive high volumes of applications or if you do not give us all the information we need.
Training
All relevant persons must complete mandatory training within six months of the date that your practice receives confirmation of accreditation.
Find out more about mandatory training
Re-accreditation
Membership of the accreditation lasts for 12 months.
You should apply to be re-accredited up to six weeks before your accreditation expires.
Find out more about re-accreditation
Cost
You’ll need to pay an application fee and a membership fee to be accredited.
We’ll send you an invoice for these when we receive your application.
Application fees are non-refundable.
| Application | Practice size | Application fee per SRO/relevant staff | Membership fee | Total (including VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial application | Sole practitioner | £0 | £350 | £420 |
| Initial application | All other practices | £30 | £350 | £456* |
| Re-accreditation | Sole practitioner | £0 | £368 | £441.60 |
| Re-accreditation | All other practices | £32 | £368 | £480* |
*We've calculated the total based on one applicant. The cost will vary depending on the number of relevant staff included in your application.
| Other fees | Cost | Total (including VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate re-issue | £10 | £12 |
| Appeal against decision to refused accreditation | £258 | £309.60 |
Promoting your accreditation
We send accredited firms a welcome pack with practical ideas and sample content you can use in your marketing programmes.
You can also order a range of free materials such as logos, certificates and window stickers.
Find a WIQS member
Find solicitors with WIQS accreditation using our Find a Solicitor website.
Search for Wills and Inheritance Quality Scheme members
This database is updated regularly.
Contact us
Call: 020 7316 5550
Email: wiqs@lawsociety.org.uk
Opening hours: 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday