PERSON BEHIND THE BUSINESS Ray Webb Wills & Estate Planning LLP

An overview of yourself and your current role.

I am the principal partner of Ray Webb Wills & Estate Planning LLP. My business partner is my son Bill, who does all the formal business documentation work for me and helps with technical research. We set the business up in February 2023 to provide people with access to quality advice in an approachable, friendly and caring manner, with transparent, fixedfee pricing.

I spent over 30 years as a financial adviser and Bill is a fully qualified solicitor, so we have a great combination of skills and knowledge. My experience as a financial adviser means I have a deep understanding of inheritance tax, care fees legislation, business succession and pensions, all of which enable me to advise my clients on how these issues can affect their estate and how they can incorporate provisions within their Will to mitigate adverse outcomes.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Meeting people and learning all about their families and their hopes for them. Also, the fact that I am providing genuine help for people and that they truly appreciate the advice, guidance and service given, on what is, let’s face it, not the most pleasant of topics, our demise. I enjoy the process of establishing circumstances, discussing their requirements, confirming our advice in writing and the follow-up meeting to discuss, fine-tune and finalise a client’s Will or LPA provisions.

Everybody’s circumstances are different and whilst requirements for a Will can be straightforward, there can often be quite challenging family or business situations that we need to find suitable solutions for.

Was a role like this always what you aspired to?

My father worked at Vauxhall Motors and shortly before I left Blacon High School way back in 1980 (!!), he arranged an interview for me, which I was very reluctant to attend. I did my best to flunk it, but in those days if your father worked there, a job was offered. I had to find something else, and quickly, so I got a job in a shop in Chester. I enjoyed the customer interaction and could connect with people easily. That aspect of any role I’ve had since has never felt like work, so yes, in a way I guess you could say that not working was an aspiration! n Ray with his Granddaughters, Lucy & Chloe

Tell us about your previous roles/ business journey.

I had lots of retail jobs in Chester during the first 3 years of leaving school, much to the despair of my mum. “You change your job as often as you change your underpants!” It was always onwards and upwards, but I switched tack and started working for Molyneux Estate Agents, progressing to become the manager of their Chester branch. From there I joined Pearl Assurance as a local agent and it was a great grounding in financial services. After a couple of years, I left to become a mortgage adviser within a firm of estate agents in Crewe. A fateful move as I met my wife there...

As my career in financial services progressed, I secured a role as an investment adviser with Yorkshire Building Society which involved relocation to Cardiff. We stayed in South Wales for 10 years but decided to come back to Chester in 2001, by which time I had become a self-employed IFA and worked for a company for 15 years. When that company sold the business, I did not like the culture of their successors and I decided to stop as an IFA. After an extended break, I missed doing what I do best, which is providing advice faceto-face. I had no desire to go back as an IFA and so undertook the required training to provide advice on Wills and LPAs, which is a natural extension of my earlier career.

Tell us a bit about what you do outside of work to relax.

I am a season ticket holder at Chester FC and I’m at every home game. If they’re playing away then it’s either a weekend at our caravan in the Shropshire countryside or spending time with my two granddaughters, Chloe and Lucy who are 5 & 2. I walk our cocker spaniel, Megan, every day around the fields and woods in Buckley where I live and every week I have a singing lesson, which I’ve been doing for about 5 years. Ed Sheeran need not worry, but I enjoy it. And of course, the occasional beer or three.

In an ideal world, what else would you like to be?

I’d like to be a radio DJ along the lines of Danny Baker, chatting away, playing music, interviewing guests etc. That said, in my dreams, I’ve been asked to step in for Noddy Holder at a Slade concert in 1973 because he’s got a sore throat.

What advice would you give to anyone else in business?

Persevere, network, be cheerful and enjoy what you do. Your enjoyment will show and your clients will like doing business with you.