This episode, hosts Mark Viner and Lindsay Batty-Smith explore the often-overlooked world of estate planning through the eyes of James Emsley, founder of ELM Legal Services. From his personal journey growing up in care to building a leading UK estate planning firm, Emsley offers candid insights into wills, probate, and why so many families fall into turmoil without clear legal preparation.

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Jim Emsley is the award-winning Founder of ELM Legal Services, a Bristol-based estate planning firm now celebrating its 25th year. With over 45,000 clients nationwide and generating more than £1 million annually, Jim has built ELM into a leading name in will-writing and probate, known for making estate planning clear, accessible, and stress-free for families across the UK.

Raised in care and diagnosed with ADHD later in life, Jim grew the business from a back bedroom to a thriving operation across two offices, earning recognition in The Guardian and a shortlisting for Boutique Estate Planning Company of the Year at the Today’s Wills and Probate Awards. He is a sought-after media commentator on topics from trusts and inheritance to home ownership and its impact on estates