News & insights Roche Legal Shortlisted For Another Top Award 3 minutes of reading - Written by Roche Legal York based Roche Legal has been shortlisted in the prestigious Law Society Excellence Awards 2019, the highest accolade for law firms in England and Wales. Roche Legal is shortlisted in the Excellence in Private Client Practice category with the winners announced at the Grosvenor House in London on October 23, 2019. The Law Society Excellence Awards have been celebrating the hard work and inspirational achievements of solicitors, legal teams and firms of all sizes across England and Wales for the past 12 years. Founder Rachel Roche received the Law Society Sole Practitioner of the Year at the 2018 Excellence Awards and Roche Legal has collected the Socially Responsible Business of the Year at the York Press Business Award, the Raising the Bar Community Award and was last week short listed for the Yorkshire Legal Awards in the Private Client category. Roche Legal are committed to embracing new technology to deliver an outstanding service to clients, including the development and launch of a cutting-edge online Will writing and Lasting Power of Attorney programme. Roche Legal is currently developing “Solicitor Check”, an online programme that will be accessible to the public to help clarify the types of legal advice on offer, following the shake-up in regulation of the profession by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Besides addressing the need to get more people writing their Wills, Rachel and her team have also published a series of free pocket-sized booklets with the first two packed with information about dealing with a relative’s death and looking after the elderly. Six more are planned in the series which can also be downloaded as eBooks. The books are supplemented by over 30 downloadable fact sheets on the Roche Legal website covering a wide range of legal issues. Roche Legal are also campaigning to highlight the controversial planned increases in probate fees which turn them into a “tax on grief” and have been supported by local MP’s who have raised on-going concerns in the House of Commons. Rachel Roche said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for the Law Society Excellence awards and our continued success is a tribute to the wonderful team here at Roche Legal who have worked so hard to make this possible. To be shortlisted after the Law Society received a record-breaking number of nominations submitted this year makes it even more special.” Law Society president Simon Davis said: “There are more than 140,000 solicitors in England and Wales – to be shortlisted for an Excellence Award is to be recognised as among the very best of the profession. “The firms and solicitors shortlisted should be commended for going above and beyond to support their clients, often navigating tricky and sometimes contentious areas of the law. With the justice system so under strain, we should take this opportunity to celebrate the incredible work solicitors do day-in and day-out – and to recognise the immense contribution they make to our society.” Roche Legal has recently opened a new office in Harrogate in addition to their York base. Rachel and the Roche Legal team can be contacted at their York office on 01904 866139 or at Harrogate on 01423 449778. Note to editors: Rachel is available for interview and can be contacted on 01904 866139 or through Chris Jones Media on 07774 772820/ 07738 005133. How Roche Legal can help: Trusts and Estate Planning Wills Probate and Estate Administration Contested Probate and Will Disputes Powers of Attorney Court of Protection matters Presumption of Death Applications Missing Persons Guardianship Applications Further Reading What do you Need to Know About Probate and Administering an Estate? Many people don’t know very much about the process of winding up an estate until someone they know dies and they find themselves responsible for carrying out the process themselves. Inheritance Tax: The Basics Inheritance tax (IHT) is a tax paid on your death based on the value of what you own at the date of your death. Legal profession needs a change of mindset to embrace AI Rachel Roche, the award winning Yorkshire lawyer, believes the legal profession needs a change of mindset to fully embrace the opportunities offered by new technology and AI which is reshaping the way businesses operate. View all insights Ready for clear, reliable legal advice? Contact us for straightforward advice that makes things easier, saves you money, and gives you peace of mind. Contact us