Campaigning York lawyer publishes booklets to help client’s cope with death of relative

A campaigning lawyer has published a series of books to help people cope with the legal aspects of a relative’s death.

The legal matters Q&A: Sophie Murgatroyd

Rachel Roche, the founder of Roche Legal, is also campaigning against controversial planned increases in probate fees, which she believes is a “tax on grief”.

Ms Roche and her team have published a series of free pocket-sized booklets about dealing with a relative’s death and looking after the elderly. Six more are planned in the series.

York-based Roche Legal is using technology to improve its service to clients, including the development and launch of an online will writing and Lasting Power of Attorney programme. Roche Legal is 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.

Roche Legal has also been shortlisted in the prestigious Law Society Excellence Awards 2019, the highest accolade for law firms in England and Wales.

Ms Roche said: “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.”