Institute of Professional Willwriters

What Institute of Professional Willwriters does

The Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW) is a UK-based nonprofit self-regulatory professional membership body founded in 1991, headquartered at Trinity Point, New Road, Halesowen, West Midlands. It serves willwriting practitioners across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with a parallel Institute of Scottish Professional Willwriters covering Scotland. The IPW's central function is to confer regulatory legitimacy on members: its Code of Practice is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), members must carry minimum £2 million Professional Indemnity and £1 million Public Liability insurance, and DBS disclosure is required. Members are individual willwriters and firms, while end consumers reach practitioners via the IPW's public membership directory.

The IPW operates a membership-and-training product suite rather than a proprietary software platform. Core deliverables include IPW Membership, the Willwriting Academy (CPD-accredited courses ranging from introductory modules at approximately £99 to a flagship 3-day Willwriting in Practice course at £990), the annual IPW National Conference (the next edition scheduled for March 2026 at Drayton Manor Park Hotel), the IPWADR Alternative Dispute Resolution service, an IPW Journal subscription, a public Membership Directory, and a member login portal. Underlying technology is conventional web infrastructure — public website with online event booking, Zoom-based training webinars, online complaint submission, and member review collection — with no proprietary AI, models, or data platforms. Will-writing practice software is delivered through a partnership with TD Software Services (Will Writer Pro), which integrates Parkers Precedents.

Revenue comes from two streams: recurring membership subscription fees (the primary recurring base) and professional services revenue from CPD-accredited training courses, where IPW members receive a roughly 30% discount versus non-members. Member services are reinforced by an eight-partner ecosystem spanning software (TD Software Services), document storage (National Will Safe, with 65,000+ Wills held), legal services (Wilkes Partnership, MFG Solicitors), insurance (BEAM Insurance), trust and corporate services (Zedra), charity consortium (Remember a Charity), and property referrals (Property Solutions Group). Distribution to consumers occurs via the public-facing website, social media channels, member referrals through the directory, and the annual conference.

Name

Institute of Professional Willwriters

Legal name

Institute of Professional Willwriters

Website

https://ipw.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Institute of Professional Willwriters is a UK self-regulatory professional membership body founded in 1991, serving willwriters across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland through CTSI-approved standards, CPD-accredited training, and a consumer-facing membership directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership Services

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Internal Audit & SOX/ICFR Advisory (BPAHAFAD)

Keywords

• Professional membership body
• Will writing regulation
• Estate planning training
• CPD accredited courses
• Professional indemnity scheme

Headquarters

HQ city

Halesowen

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: IPW members pay membership fees to join and remain part of the Institute. Goods and services are only supplied to members of the Institute. Levels of membership exist (Associate, Full Member, etc.) with associated subscription costs.
2. Training Courses and CPD: The Willwriting Academy provides a range of CPD-accredited training courses and webinars. Revenue is generated from course fees charged to members and non-members. Courses include Introduction to Willwriting (£99), Advanced courses (£140 members / £200 non-members), 3-day Willwriting in Practice (£780 members / £990 non-members), and quarterly national training meetings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW) is a self-regulatory professional membership body that accredits, trains and supports will writers and estate planning professionals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It delivers membership subscriptions, CPD-accredited training via the Willwriting Academy, an annual national conference, an Alternative Dispute Resolution service (IPWADR), and the IPW Journal, all under a Code of Practice approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI). Members must hold minimum £2m Professional Indemnity insurance and £1m Public Liability insurance, undergo DBS disclosure, and adhere to the CTSI-approved Code.

Product overview

The Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW) is a professional membership body that offers a unified membership program—not a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering comprises IPW Membership, which provides professional recognition, Code of Practice compliance, and mandatory insurance coverage for will writers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Supporting this are the Willwriting Academy (providing accredited CPD courses), the IPW Annual Conference, the IPWADR dispute resolution service, the IPW Journal Subscription, and member support services including Technical Support, Mentoring, and Quarterly Online Training. Members also gain access to the Membership Directory and Member Login Portal. The organization was founded in 1991 and its Code of Practice is approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IPW Membership Professional membership programme for will writers providing Code of Practice compliance, minimum £2m Professional Indemnity Insurance, £1m Public Liability insurance, DBS disclosure, eligibility to offer services under the IPW Code, and access to the member support ecosystem.
• Willwriting Academy Training division delivering CPD-accredited courses covering beginner to advanced will-writing, Lasting Powers of Attorney, Probate and Estate Administration, Inheritance Tax Planning, Care Home Fee Planning and Trustee Powers. Courses priced from £99 to £990 with member discounts.
• IPW Annual National Conference Annual member conference providing interactive workshops, keynote speakers, networking opportunities and the Annual General Meeting.
• IPWADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) Service Free Alternative Dispute Resolution service for complaints against IPW members where transaction value is less than £10,000.
• IPW Journal Subscription Journal subscription providing members with professional publications and updates on industry developments.
• Member Review System Online PIN-based and postal review collection system enabling clients to give feedback on IPW members to maintain service quality standards.
• Membership Directory Searchable public directory enabling consumers to find and contact IPW will writers in their local area.
• CPD Courses Continuing Professional Development courses including Introduction to Willwriting (£99), standard full-day CPD courses (£140 members / £200 non-members), 3-day intensive Willwriting in Practice (£780 members / £990 non-members), half-day Trustee Powers Webinar (£80 members / £120 non-members), Refresher Associates Course & Written Exam (£250 members), 2-day Introduction to Probate and Estate Administration (£300 members / £400 non-members).
• Quarterly Online Training Meetings Quarterly Zoom-based online training sessions (approximately 4 hours) covering topical news and technical guidance, counting towards CPD requirements. Free for IPW members, £15 for non-members.
• Technical Support and Mentoring Technical Team guidance on complex issues plus a peer mentoring programme pairing newer members with experienced IPW Willwriters.
• Free Will-Making Guide Free downloadable PDF guide for consumers explaining why and how to make a will, used to drive awareness and referrals to IPW members.

Quantifiable outcome

• All IPW members carry minimum £2m Professional Indemnity and £1m Public Liability insurance, protecting clients against negligence claims.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Property Solutions GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProperty Solutions Group is the UK's specialist property services provider for legal professionals, will writers and executors. Since 2015, it has delivered insurance, maintenance, valuations, property sales, private selling, and estate funding services. It is recognised and regulated by RICS and combines over 100 years of expert experience with award-winning service. A key feature is its Deferred Payment Facility for estates with no or limited access to funds.
• The Wilkes Partnership LLPcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWilkes is an award-winning, full-service UK law firm operating from Birmingham and Solihull in the Midlands. For private individuals it provides wills, trusts and probate, tax planning, residential conveyancing, dispute resolution, court of protection, notary services, personal injury, clinical negligence, and family law services.
• MFG SolicitorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFG Solicitors provides contentious probate services and is ranked within the top two tiers of The Legal 500 for Contentious Probate for 13 consecutive years. Head of Contentious Probate Andrew Chandler leads a highly regarded team. As an exclusive IPW member benefit, MFG offers free initial advice to IPW members.
• BEAM Insurance SolutionscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBEAM Insurance Solutions was selected by both the IPW and the Institute of Professional Scottish Willwriters to manage their Professional Indemnity Insurance scheme. It provides comprehensive cover, competitive prices, and experienced claim handlers for IPW members.
• ZedracoreGTM or Marketing PartnerZedra provides estate administration and probate services, offering end-to-end support including gathering information, applying for Grant of Probate, closing bank accounts, paying debts, dealing with Inheritance Tax forms, selling property and assets, and producing estate accounts. It commits to competitive, fair, and accessible pricing.
• Remember a CharitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRemember a Charity is a consortium of 200 UK charities working together with government and partners across the legal sector to inspire people to leave gifts to charity in their Wills. Over 800 solicitor firms are signed up to its Campaign Supporter scheme. Research shows 40% of UK adults want to leave a gift to charity but only 7% currently do.
• National Will SafecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEstablished in 2004, National Will Safe stores over 65,000 Wills and relevant legal documents in its specialist document archive facility for an annual fee paid by direct debit. Documents are fully insured against loss or damage, with up to £2m per case compensation. Clients receive plastic identity cards and executors can access Wills free of charge upon presentation of a death certificate.
• TD Software Services (Will Writer Pro)coreTechnology or IntegrationWill Writer Pro has been supporting estate planners since 2015, providing a platform with Parkers Precedents directly integrated. Over 2.5 million legal documents have been created worldwide. IPW members receive exclusive benefits including a 90-day free trial, no fees in December, and member-only features.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Society of Will Writers (SWW): The Society of Will Writers is the IPW's primary direct competitor in the UK will-writing membership body space, offering similar membership, training, and consumer directory services to will writers. It competes for the same member pool and consumer referrals.
• Institute of Scottish Professional Willwriters (ISPW): The ISPW operates as the Scottish equivalent of the IPW, sharing headquarters in Halesowen and providing membership and training for Scottish will writers. It is a sister organization with similar offerings but operating in a different legal jurisdiction.

Broad incumbents

• STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners): STEP is the leading global professional body for practitioners in trust and estate administration, with a more prestigious qualification (TEP) that solicitors and other professionals obtain. It represents a broader, more established incumbent serving an overlapping but higher-end market than the IPW.
• The Law Society of England and Wales: The Law Society is the professional body representing solicitors in England and Wales, many of whom also provide will-writing and estate planning services. It competes for the same end consumers and represents a more qualified, regulated alternative to IPW members.
• Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx): CILEx is a UK professional body for legal executives, many of whom practise in wills, probate, and estate administration. It is a broader incumbent in legal professional services with overlapping CPD and membership value propositions.
• Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC): The CLC regulates licensed conveyancers in England and Wales, some of whom offer will-writing and probate services. It represents an alternative professional regulator with adjacent coverage of property and estate-related legal services.

Others

• Remember a Charity: Remember a Charity is a consortium of 200 UK charities and 800+ solicitor firms working to encourage charitable giving in Wills. The IPW is a partner of Remember a Charity, making it a thematic collaborator in the same estate planning ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ipwillwriters
• Facebookfacebook.com/InstituteofProfessionalWillwriters
• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/institute-of-professional-willwriters

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute of Professional Willwriters