From Personal Loss to professional Purpose: Andrew's Journey to Estate Planning

Andrew Orton, newly awarded CILEX Chartered Paralegal shares his story. 

Andrew's career in estate planning began from a deeply personal place. After the death of his mother, he entered into the will writing and estate planning sector, working across both SRA-regulated and non-regulated firms. Each role provided him with valuable on-the-job training, and during one of those roles, he took the Institute of Professional Will writers (IPW) examination - his first industry qualification, which to his surprise he passed. 

Overcoming challenges and taking control

Unfortunately, that employer went into liquidation and after further employment changes - including a disappointing role during the early days of COVID-19 Andrew decided enough was enough and he was going to take control of his professional future. His dissatisfaction stemmed not just from the lack of training, but also from poor service delivery, "I even lost clients before they received their wills - an unacceptable outcome in our line of work."

It was then that he chose to start his own business as an estate planning consultant. He joined the Society of Will Writers (SWW) and retained his Institute of Paralegals (IoP) membership. 

Building a business from the ground up

Starting the business wasn't easy - competition was fierce and client trust is hard-won, but he persevered, aligning with WillSuite for software and partnering with an SRA-regulated practice to broaden the services he could offer. "Clients rarely minded where your partners are based - as long as you're the trusted, knowledgeable face delivering the service."

Andrew took the decision he needed to sit the full entrance exams for IPW, passing successfully. Soon after, two IFAs who had seen his work online reached out and asked if he'd consider offering Will services to their clients. During this time, Andrew also became an Affiliate Member of STEP, and it's thanks to these affiliations that he was able to demonstrate to potential clients that he was more than just a Will writer - he was a professional estate planner. 

Joining the CILEX Experience Assessment pilot

When CILEX acquired the IoP, and the integration of IoP members into CILEX was announced Andrew took the chance to attend an online event in November 2023 to learn more about what this would mean for his membership and professional status. It was at this event that he learnt CILEX were looking for people to join a pilot to trial their new Experience Assessment application route - he signed up expecting a questionnaire - "What I got was much more comprehensive."

Having left school at 16 with no GCEs and being someone who had always struggled with exams, he's not ashamed to admit he almost dropped out of the process when he saw the requirements. But, despite some gaps in his knowledge, he submitted the assessment and prepared for the next step. 

"I've worked all my life in roles ranging from a police officer to business owner and I wasn't about to start giving up now."

Achieving CILEX Chartered Paralegal status

Unfortunately, Andrew was initially informed that he had not met the required standards, but with the help of valuable feedback from the assessor, he revisited his assessment and resubmitted it and made it through to interview stage. The face to face assessment online with the assessor followed, a process Andrew felt much more comfortable with. 

To his delight, he was successful, and following the launch of the new membership grade, he was one of the first to be awarded the status and can call himself a CILEX Chartered Paralegal (PCILEX). 

"It was a huge personal achievement and a validation of the journey I've taken over the years."

Recognition, referrals and reputation

After a comment Andrew made on a LinkedIn post, he was contacted by a solicitor at a London law firm, who was impressed with his new professional status and approach to client care, and asked if he would consider being their sole recommended provider for estate planning. "Of course, I said yes - after about 30 seconds of consideration!" Andrew reflects that "Networking and professional association membership played a huge part in this. My client base now extends across England and Wales."

Final thoughts: why professional membership matters

Estate planning is a competitive field. To success, you need to stand out - and professional membership with recognised bodies like CILEX, IPW, SWW and STEP have helped Andrew do just that. 

"Becoming a CILEX Chartered Paralegal is the icing on the cake. It represents the professionalism, dedication and integrity I bring to my work - and I recommend anyone in our industry to explore these pathways."