Making A Complaint

 Procedures and policies for the Institute of Professional Willwriters Alternative Dispute

 Resolution (IPWADR)

 Version 1 / 11 September 2026  

 IPW is accredited by Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) under delegated powers from the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, under the  Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.   

In the vast majority of cases, clients of our Member firms receive excellent service.

Occasionally things can go wrong. If a Member of the IPW doesn’t get it right and if a client is not happy with any aspect of service provision, our Member firms are keen to know about it. Not only does it allow them to rectify the situation, they will then also be able to ensure the same problem doesn't happen again.

On occasions where one of our Member firms is unable to rectify a situation, the IPW provides Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for complaints about the service that they have received from an IPW member firm.

To find out if a firm that you have a complaint about is a member of IPW, please click here.

IPW member firms are bound by the decision reached, but the complainant can choose to accept or reject the outcome.

The IPWADR process is free to consumers.

Every year the IPWADR produces a report about the performance of its scheme. The latest report can be viewed here

Scope of the IPWADR process

IPW uses arbitration to resolve complaints.

We offer ADR for complaints relating to:       

• Wills or other testamentary instruments
•  Powers of attorney
•  Advance directives/advance decisions/living Wills
•  An agreement not intended to be executed as a deed
•  The administration of estates of people who have died
•  Advice (but not preparation) of documents executed as a deed
•  The storage of documents

Participation in the IPWADR process may result in the following possible outcomes:

·        A refund of a maximum of any fees paid by the Client up to a maximum of the fees paid by the Client for the transaction (or the element of it that is in dispute) and/or

·        A requirement for remedial work to be completed by the IPW Member Firm and/or

·        An award of costs to the Client, limited to the actual costs that they have incurred in pursuit of their complaint.

Contact details

 -      Institute of Professional Willwriters (IPW)

-       Trinity Point, New Road, Halesowen B63 3HY

-        [email protected]

-        0345 257 2570

General information

  -        We want as many people as possible to be able to be able to use the IPW ADR process and the IPW will make any necessary and reasonable provisions for a complainant to be able to do so. If a complainant needs help please contact the IPW. Forms of help that the IPW can provide include, but are not limited to:

o   Making the scheme rules available in large print or in forms as of assistive technology, including verbal.

o   Conducting the process using large print or other forms of assistive technology.

o   Providing help for a complainant to have their evidence transcribed.

-        IPW can only accept complaints in English, and in relation to services provided in relation the laws in the United Kingdom and the ADR procedure will be conducted in English.

-        The ADR procedure will be conducted in writing unless there is a justification for it to be conducted in another format.

-        We will take into account the requirements of the IPW Code of Practice, best practice in the sector, consumer law and other legislative requirements when resolving complaints.

-        The complainant can withdraw their complaint from this ADR procedure at any time.

-        Any outcome of the ADR procedure is legally binding on the IPW member firm but does not prevent a client seeking redress through the courts.

-        Both parties are entitled to be represented or assisted by another person.

-        The average length of the ADR process is currently 66 days.  

Referring a complaint to IPW ADR

  -        IPW member firms should inform clients that they have access to a free ADR service through IPW, when they have reached the end of their own internal complaints process. Details on how to contact IPW should be provided to those clients by the member.

-        The complainant must have exhausted the IPW member firm’s complaints process, before a complaint can be raised with IPW.

-        Complainants have 12 months from the date of the IPW members firm’s last response to raise a complaint with IPW.

-        Only complaints about the services provided by IPW member firms can be dealt with by the IPWADR service.

-        Complaints can be submitted using the contact details outlined above, or through the online portal, here

Grounds for Refusal

 IPWADR may refuse to handle a complaint due to one or more of the following reasons:  

a.        Claims for compensation for financial loss sustained through the alleged negligence of the IPW member firm. These issues should be dealt with through the indemnity insurers of the IPW Member firm and it is mandatory that all IPW member firms have such indemnity insurance.

b.       If the IPW member firm is regulated by a scheme which provides for complaints to be dealt with by the Legal Ombudsman. If this option is available, it should be described in the contract provided by the IPW member firm. Where this option is available, complainants should refer the matter to the Legal Ombudsman whose contact details are as follows:

Legal Ombudsman

PO Box 6806

Wolverhampton

WV1 9W

Telephone: 0300 555 0333

www.legalombudsman.org.uk

[email protected]

c.        Where the person making the complaint is not a Client nor has been appointed by a Client to act on their behalf. A Client is a person who has contracted with an IPW member firm for the provision of services and/or has made a payment to an IPW member firm in the expectation of the provision of services.

d.       Where the complaint is not about the service that has been provided by an IPW member firm.

e.        Prior to submitting the complaint to IPW the complainant has not attempted to contact the IPW member firm concerned to discuss the complaint and sought, as a first step, to resolve the matter directly with the IPW member firm.

f.          The dispute is frivolous or vexatious.

g.        The dispute is being, or has been previously, considered by another ADR entity or by a court.

h.        The value of the claim is greater than £10,000.

i.          The complainant has not submitted the complaint within the time frames mentioned above.

j.          Dealing with such a type of dispute would seriously impair the effective operation of the IPW.

k.        Where the disputed transaction started before a firm became a Member of the IPW, or where the IPW Member of firm is no longer a member of the IPW or when the transaction was completed more than 12 months before the complaint is first made to the IPWADR.

l.          Where the Client refuses to give permission for the IPWADR to access their file held by the Member.  

ADR Procedure

-        Once IPWADR has received the complaint from the complainant, it will review it to ensure it is something that can be dealt with by IPWADR. If it is not possible to deal with the complaint, IPWADR will let you know as soon as possible and, where possible, you will be signposted to other organisation(s) who may be able to help.

-        If the complaint can be handled, IPWADR will acknowledge this to both parties and provide details on the ADR procedure, including expected timeframes.

-        If there is a conflict of interest, IPW’s policy on this will be followed (see below).

-        All relevant information will be collated by IPW from both parties, who will have a reasonable amount of time to express their points of view.

-        The information required can be submitted either online or by post and may include, but is not limited to:

The contract between the complainant and the IPW member firm

The receipt or invoice in relation to the transaction

Copies of correspondence between the complainant and the IPW member firm both before the complaint arose and during the complaint process.

-        Once all required information is received from the complainant, this will be provided to the business for comment. The business will have 14 working days to respond.

-        Once the information has been provided by the business, this evidence will be sent to the complainant for comment. The complainant will then have 14 working days to respond. This process will continue until both parties have made all of their comments.

-        Once IPW has all the required information for the ADR process to begin, this will be considered the ‘complete case file’ and both parties will be notified in writing at this point.

-        Once IPW is in receipt of the complete case file, the outcome will be notified to both parties in writing within 90 days.

-        IPW will keep parties to the dispute informed about the conduct and progress of any ADR being carried out using the same format under which the information was shared between the parties.

-        The complainant can withdraw their complaint from this ADR procedure at any time.

-        Once the ADR procedure has concluded and a decision reached, both parties will be provided with this in writing and along with an explanation of how the outcome has been reached.  

-        An outcome may include any of the following:

o   A refund of any fees paid by the complainant up to a maximum of the fees paid by the complainant for the transaction (or the element of it that is in dispute) and/or

o   A requirement for remedial work to be completed by the business and/or

o   An award of costs to the complainant, limited to the actual costs that they have incurred in pursuit of their complaint.

-        At this point complainants will be advised of the following:

a.        The complainant has the choice as to whether or not to agree to or follow the proposed solution.

b.       Participation in the procedure does not prevent the possibility of seeking redress through court proceedings.

c.        The proposed solution may be different from an outcome determined by a court applying legal rules. d.       The complainant can accept or reject the ADR decision.

-        The complainant will be given 14 days to accept or reject the decision reached.  

IPW ADR Conflict of Interest Policy

Everyone involved in the IPW Alternative Dispute Resolution process will strive to avoid any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest between the interests of the IPW member firm and a clients and their own personal interest.

The purpose of this policy is to protect the integrity of the IPW ADR decision-making process, so that our stakeholders to have confidence in our integrity, and to protect the integrity and reputation of staff.

Examples of conflicts of interest include:

1. An ADR official who deals with a complaint against a member firm which once employed them.

2. An ADR official who is friends (rather than just professionally amicable) or related to a member which is the subject of a complaint.

3. An IPWADR official, or their friend or family member has a financial interest in an IPW member firm which is the subject of a complaint.

Upon appointment, every ADR Official will make a full, written disclosure of interests, such as relationships, and posts held, that could potentially result in a conflict of interest. This written disclosure will be kept on file with the ADR Official being subject to ongoing disclosure obligations.

Where a conflict of interest arises the ADR Official will speak to the IPW Chair who will follow the following procedure:

a. where possible, the ADR official will be replaced by another ADR official to handle the particular dispute;

b. if the ADR official cannot be replaced by another ADR official—

(i) the ADR official will refrain from conducting the alternative dispute resolution procedure, and

(ii) the IPW Chair will, where possible, propose to the parties that they submit the dispute to another ADR entity which is competent to deal with it.

c. if the dispute cannot be transferred to another ADR entity, the IPW Chair —

(i) will inform the parties to the dispute of the circumstances of the conflict of interest,

(ii) will inform the parties to the dispute that they have the right to object to the conflicted person continuing to handle the dispute, and

(iii) will only continue to deal with the dispute if no party to the dispute objects.

Register of potential conflicts of interest