The Gazette 1990

GAZETTE

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1990

Solicitors Financial and

Property Services Update

Did you know that S.F.P.S. is in

existence over six months? You may

wonder how has the company been

getting on during that initial period.

Solicitors Financial and Property Ser-

vices was launched last May by the

Incorporated Law Society with a

single purpose - to give your clients

access to independent expert advice

on wide ranging financial oppor-

tunities. In days gone by a solicitor's

task was seen by his clients and the

public at large to be a very straight-

forward one, provide advice on all

sorts of

legal

matters. Not that many

people thought of going to their

solicitors seeking advice on educa-

tional funding, pensions or even the

dreaded Life Assurance. How many

settlements were made where clients

receiving large lump sums without

looking beyond the bank or building

society and in the process suffering

very meagre returns.

Times have changed and people

are becoming more aware of Fin-

ancial Services, primarily because of

the mushrooming of companies/

brokers/banks/building societies, all

offering your clients advice on lump

sums (those settlements we referred

to) inheritance tax (wills you made for

them) and mortgages (and just think

how many conveyancing cases you

completed). How can S.F.P.S. help?

Solicitors Financial and Property

Services can enhance and increase

the services you are already pro-

viding. For the benefit of the cynics,

and the apathetics and, last but

certainly not least, the Faithful who

have joined the scheme, let me tell

you how the scheme has progressed.

So far 232 member firms have par-

ticipated as illustrated below.

An interesting fact is that out of

232 firms almost half the firms fell

into the two to four member practice

with 25% falling into the sole pract-

ice category.

What role does Sedgwick Dineen

play in all of this? When S.F.P.S was

set up they formed a link with an

Independent Group of financial ad-

visors, in fact the biggest financial

broker group in Europe - Sedgwick

Group. Sedgwick Dineen are part of

that Group. Given our independence

we owe no allegiance to any par-

ticular insurance company, financial

institution or lending agency and are

in a position to offer your clients up-

to-date, impartial and honest advica

Sedgwick Dineen and S.F.P.S. are

deeply committed to ensuring that

the scheme works and as a measure

of that commitment we have re-

cruited additional consultants. Each

consultant has a panel of solicitors in

his area with whom he keeps in

constant touch. Good, effective com-

munication is essential for any

business relationship to develop and

we are relying on you, to some

extent, to help us in this regard.

I am sure you would be interested

in knowing more statistical informa-

tion on the level of enquiries we have

received. Over 800 enquiries have

LEINSTER

117

Dublin

Offaly

Carlow

Westmeath

Wexford

Wicklow

Meath

Laois

Kildare

Longford

Kilkenny

Louth

ULSTER

Cavan

Monaghan

Donegal

Name of Practice:

Address:

Telephone:

Contact Person: ..

been received from S.F.P.S. members

so far. In terms of business actually

written over 85% relate specifically

to lump sum investments. Many of

your clients are in the way of re-

ceiving cash awards from various

sources ejg. inheritances, compensa-

tion awards, property disposals. By

providing professional, independent

advice you are not only offering your

clients a service that is beneficial to

them but you are also increasing your

practice income.

If you are thinking of joining S.F.P.S.

or indeed want any further clarifica-

tion, please feel free to telephone me

at 781599 or return the coupon

below (without obligation) to

Sedgwick Dineen Personal Financial

Management, 18/19 Harcourt Street,

Dublin 2.

CONNAUGHT

Galway

Roscommon

Sligo

Mayo

Leitrim

MUNSTER

Cork

Clare

Tipperary

Waterford

Kerry

Limerick

S.F.P.S. ENQUIRY FORM