The Wills Workshop | Erin International

THE
WILLS
WORKSHOP

For solicitors and legal practitioners involved in drafting wills, or the probate work that follows. One full day. Six general CPD hours, all completed in-person, fulfilling your entire group study requirement for the year.

FormatFull-Day, In-Person
CPD6 General CPD Points
Schedule12 Dates Nationwide
ForSolicitors & Legal Practitioners

A hands-on drafting day, not a lecture.

The Wills Workshop is a one-day, in-person CPD course for solicitors and legal practitioners who draft wills. It moves the way a file does: from taking instructions, through what the Probate Office actually requires, to a finished draft reviewed at the table.

Everything runs on a working instruction sheet and a fictitious testator. You draft in small groups, compare versions, and correct against what the Probate Office will and won't accept, with both speakers moving between the tables.

At the end of the day you take the materials with you: precedents, checklists and clauses ready for the office on Monday morning. The aim is plain: cleaner instructions, fewer rejected applications, and probate work that holds up under scrutiny.

Four working sessions across the day

09:00 to 16:30, with coffee and lunch provided.
Drafting exercises run in groups, and both speakers are on hand at every table.

09.00

Registration, arrival & coffee

09.30

Session 01

Taking proper instructions

Laurie Darcy

A precedent instruction sheet, worked through line by line
Sections 63, 47, 55 and 98 of the Succession Act in practice
Risk minimisation in client meetings
Pre-will tax advice and follow-up after execution

11.00

Coffee break

11.30

Session 02

What the Probate Office looks for in a will

Caroline McCallLaurie Darcy

Attestation, signatures and capacity flags
Is it truly the last will? Revocation clauses, foreign assets, wills executed abroad
The right applicant, and how an AAW or ATC resolves common issues
Typical will clauses in practice: devises, legacies, appropriation, advancement, Section 47, minors, charities and simple trusts

13.00

Lunch (provided)

14.00

Session 03

Will drafting exercises

Caroline McCallLaurie Darcy

Hands-on drafting in small groups, from the morning's instruction sheet
Includes a foreign element and a charitable bequest
Both speakers move between the tables
The recommended draft is walked through together, and taken home

16.00

Session 04

Q&A: open or private

Caroline McCallLaurie Darcy

Bring the questions from your own files, asked openly or quietly at the desk

16.30

Close

Two views on the same will.
The one who drafts it,
and the one who accepts it.

A practising solicitor and a Probate Office veteran of more than twenty years, both on hand at every table through the day.

Laurie Darcy

Solicitor · STEP Diploma

Laurie qualified as a solicitor in 2010 and works as a locum across offices that need help progressing probate files and fixing rejected applications. Her particular interest is risk management: instruction sheets, checklists and precedents that hold up under scrutiny.

Laurie completed the STEP Diploma in 2021, tutors on the Law Society PPC Advanced Probate & Tax module, and is also admitted in England and Wales.

STEP Diploma Law Society PPC tutor Ireland & E&W

Caroline McCall

Probate Consultant

Caroline spent more than twenty years inside the High Court Probate Office, in both the Probate Seat Office and the Probate Personal Applications Service. She now leads Erin International's Probate Pre-Check Service, helping solicitors get applications accepted on first submission.

Caroline holds a Diploma in Trust and Estate Planning, a Diploma in Genealogy and Family History (UCD), and a Diploma in Information Science (TCD).

20+ years High Court Probate Pre-Check lead Trust & Estate Diploma

Practical questions

If something is not covered here, email cpd@erininternational.com.

How many CPD hours does the workshop carry?

The Wills Workshop carries 6 general CPD (Continuing Professional Development) hours.

Who is the workshop for?

Built around solicitors who draft wills, and open to anyone in legal practice who works on them: trainees and apprentices, legal executives, and private client and probate support staff. If you take instructions, draft, or manage the file through the Probate Office, the day is for you. CPD hours are recorded under the Law Society scheme; other attendees are welcome and receive a certificate of attendance.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch and coffee breaks are included in the ticket price. Dietary requirements can be noted on the Eventbrite registration form.

Are there group rates?

Yes, for firms bringing three or more attendees from the same office. Contact cpd@erininternational.com for a quotation.

Can I attend if I miss the live date?

The workshop runs in person across twelve dates nationwide, so if your preferred date is sold out you are welcome to register for another. A recording is not provided. The format is built around hands-on drafting, which does not translate to recorded delivery.

What is the cancellation policy?

Cancellations made more than fourteen days before the event date are refunded in full. Within fourteen days, your place can be transferred to another attendee from the same firm at no charge.

Will the venue be accessible?

Yes. All confirmed venues will be wheelchair accessible. Specific accessibility requirements can be noted on the Eventbrite registration form, or sent to cpd@erininternational.com.

Will the workshop run in other locations?

The 2026 series covers Dublin, Dundalk, Tullamore, Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Galway, Castlebar, Sligo, Wexford and Kilkenny, with Dublin repeating in December. Additional cities and a 2027 series will be considered on demand, so get in touch if your firm or local Bar Association would like to discuss hosting.

THE
WILLS
WORKSHOP

A hands-on drafting day, not a lecture.